“The Long and Short of Long Term Memory Storage”: This talk considers the molecular mechanisms that contribute to learning-related, long-term synaptic plasticity. First, I will briefly outline some of the recent studies in Aplysia that have led to the conclusion that the requirement for protein synthesis which characterizes long-term memory is reflected, on the cellular level, in the activation of a cascade of genes and that this cascade leads to the growth of new synaptic connections. I will then go on to consider in more detail studies which have examined the cell biological consequences of having a long-term memory process that require gene transcription and synaptic growth.

Biography of Eric R. Kandel: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/neurobeh/Kandel.html