Hearing loss is a global problem; in New Zealand, 880,000 people are estimated to be living with some degree of hearing loss in 2016. Recent research suggested the loss of communication between cells that detect sound and auditory neurons, to be the major underlying cause of hearing loss. We have hypothesis that a group of ATP-receptor proteins are important for maintaining these connections between inner ear cells. We will test this hypothesis, in hope to identify these proteins as novel therapeutic targets that can prevent the loss of synaptic connections in the cochlea, and even re-establish the sense of hearing.