NeuroNex Technology Hub: Multimodal Integrated Neural Technologies (MINT) - Connecting Physiology to Functional Mapping

为了理解神经信号如何在行为动物中传播以执行特定功能，以及个体神经元如何在行为背景下物理连接，神经科学家应该掌握先进的工具。多模态集成神经技术（MINT）中心旨在开发和提供能够在高空间和时间分辨率下独立读取和调节多个位置的神经元的工具。该中心将传播工具和方法，将记录的细胞活动与结构连接联系起来。通过这种方式，活动细胞的连通性可以被可视化、标记和跟踪，以进行详细的功能映射。MINT中心的使命是为神经科学界提供一系列协同开发、集成和可用的工具，以解决一个主题：以更大的规模和分辨率将神经生理学和结构分析联系起来。这些神经技术工具在MINT中心的协同整合将加速神经科学的发现速度。这反过来又有望为改善神经系统疾病的治疗和人工智能（尤其是神经形态计算）的突破铺平道路。MINT中心将为新用户提供年度培训讲习班，以熟悉新技术并能够有效地使用它们。为了实现可持续性，硬件工具将积极向社区销售，而那些具有可持续数量的硬件工具将过渡到商业化合作伙伴。重要的是，这个项目将在这个项目的过程中交叉训练神经科学和技术人员，从而培养新一代的多学科工程师和科学家。这个中心独特地结合了高密度电极，化学传感，光学刺激和细胞标记。无纤维高密度光电极可以在多柄硅探针上使用单片集成微型led或光波导，以高特异性和选择性对单个或少数神经元进行光刺激。碳微线将用于制造先进的阵列，这将大大提高记录相互连接的神经元的能力，并以高精度标记这些细胞。先进的金属合金也将用于大大提高小型化电极的信噪比。MINT中心将创新神经系统中的病毒载体传递和组织清除，并将这些与完整细胞表型的多光谱标记相结合。此外，将开发一个开源软件，以提高创建连接图的解剖重建的准确性和效率。MINT中心将在三个体内实验中验证开发的工具和方法，以举例说明当提议的模式和方法协同整合时可以完成什么。这项神经技术中心奖是由生物科学理事会新兴前沿部门和工程理事会化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统部门共同资助的，作为大脑计划和美国国家科学基金会理解大脑活动的一部分。

In order to understand how neural signals propagate to conduct specific functions in behaving animals and how individual neurons are physically connected in the context of behavior, advanced tools should be available at the hands of neuroscientists. The Multimodal Integrated Neural Technologies (MINT) hub aims to develop and provide tools that are able to read from and modulate neurons at multiple sites independently at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The hub will disseminate tools and methods to correlate the recorded cell activity with the structural connection. In this way, the connectivity of active cells can be visualized, labeled, and traced for detailed functional mapping. The mission of the MINT hub is to provide a collection of tools, synergistically developed, integrated, and available to the neuroscience community, to address one theme: connecting neurophysiology and structural analysis with a greater scale and resolution. The synergistic integration of these neurotechnology tools at the MINT Hub would accelerate the rate of discovery in neuroscience. This in turn can be expected to pave the way to improved treatments for neurological disorders and to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, especially neuromorphic computing. The MINT hub will provide annual training workshops for new users to be familiar with new technologies and able to use them effectively. To achieve sustainability, the hardware tools will be actively marketed to the community and those with sustainable volume will be transitioned to commercialization partners. Importantly, this program will cross-train neuroscience and technology personnel during the course of this program, resulting in preparation of a new generation of multi-disciplinary engineers and scientists.This hub uniquely combines high-density electrodes, chemical sensing, optical stimulation, and cell labeling. Fiberless high-density optoelectrodes can allow optical stimulation of individual or few neurons with high specificity and selectivity using monolithically integrated micro-LEDs or optical waveguides on multi-shank silicon probes. Carbon microthreads will be used to create advanced arrays that will dramatically increase the ability to record from interconnected neurons and label those cells with high accuracy. Advanced metal alloys will also be used to greatly enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of miniaturized electrodes. The MINT hub will innovate viral vector delivery and tissue clearing in the nervous system and combine these with multispectral labeling for intact cell phenotyping. Furthermore, an open-source software will be developed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of anatomical reconstruction for creating connectivity maps. The MINT hub will validate the developed tools and methods in three in-vivo experiments to exemplify what can be accomplished when the proposed modalities and methods are synergistically integrated. This NeuroTechnology Hub award is co-funded by the Division of Emerging Frontiers within the Directorate for Biological Sciences, and the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental & Transport Systems within the Directorate for Engineering as part of the BRAIN Initiative and NSF's Understanding the Brain activities.