Autonomous MEMS probes for intracellular recording

项目总结/摘要 在体神经元细胞内记录在无与伦比的空间和时间上包含丰富的功能信息 分辨率，通常被认为是测试大脑功能假设的基础， 功能障碍然而，用目前的技术在脊椎动物中获得它们是极其困难的。 因此，即使是高度熟练的神经生理学家也只能记录45分钟的细胞内活动， 在麻醉的脊椎动物中最多几个小时， 清醒的、行为正常的动物。 当前提案的总体目标是开发一种头戴式系统，用于记录细胞内 膜电位在体内从整体的神经元在麻醉动物最初和随后在 醒着的动物我们建议使用基于微机电系统（MEMS）的技术 以大幅降低形状因素，并开发一种头戴式自主纳米电极系统， 将（a）使细胞内记录实验中的“技术”自动化并最小化，以及（B）使细胞内记录实验能够在细胞内进行， 记录来自麻醉动物的单个神经元。我们将在过去成功的基础上， MEMS可移动微电极系统，用于慢性记录大脑的单个和多个单位活动， vivo.该提案的具体目标是：（a）设计、开发和测试一种纳米电极系统， 将纳米电极自主定位在非洲爪蟾卵母细胞内并记录膜电位， (b)测试自主纳米电极系统记录分离的稳定细胞内电位的能力， 腹神经节，大鼠海马脑切片，最后在麻醉的成年大鼠模型。 项目目标的顺利完成将使细胞内记录技术更容易获得 用于啮齿动物实验，因此将影响广泛的神经生理学研究。的 这里提出的纳米电极方法也容易扩展以实现更高的通道计数来记录 细胞内活动从神经元集合捕捉紧急功能相关的行为。

Project Summary/Abstract In-vivo neuronal intracellular recordings contain rich, functional information at unparalleled spatial and temporal resolution and are generally considered fundamental to testing hypotheses about brain function and dysfunction. However, they are extremely difficult to obtain in vertebrate animals with current technology. Consequently, even highly skilled Neurophysiologists are able to record intra-cellular activity for only 45 min to a maximum of few hours in anesthetized vertebrate animals with rare instances of successful recordings from awake, behaving animals for very short durations. The overall goal of the current proposal is to develop a head-mounted system for recording intra-cellular membrane potentials in vivo from ensembles of neurons in anesthetized animals initially and subsequently in awake, behaving animals. We propose to use Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) based technologies to dramatically reduce the form factor and develop a head-mounted, autonomous nanoelectrode system that will (a) automate and minimize the "art" in intracellular recording experiments and (b) enable intra-cellular recordings from single neurons in anesthetized animals. We will build on our past success in developing MEMS movable microelectrode systems for chronic recording of single and multi-unit activity from the brain in vivo. The specific aims of the proposal are to (a) design, develop and test a nanoelectrode system that will autonomously position the nanoelectrode inside a xenopus oocyte cell and record membrane potentials and (b) test the autonomous nanoelectrode system for its ability to record stable intracellular potentials in isolated abdominal ganglia from Aplysia, rat hippocampal brain slices and finally in anesthetized adult rat models. Successful completion of the project goals will make intracellular recording technology more readily available for rodent experiments and will therefore impact a wide range of neurophysiological studies. The nanoelectrode approach proposed here is also readily scalable to realize higher channel counts to record intracellular activity from ensembles of neurons to capture emergent functional correlates to behavior.