Developing long-term neuro-behavioral recording and real-time processing platforms for naturally behaving animals

神经科学中的一个主要挑战是揭示大脑中已定义的神经回路是如何编码、存储、 修改和检索信息。增加这一挑战的是，神经功能并不 在与活的、行为正常的动物隔离的情况下运行，而不是在活的、行为正常的动物内部运行。要应对这一挑战，意义重大 神经、行为和计算工具的发展需要新的实验手段 能够在复杂行为和环境中详细研究神经回路的方法 自然主义的、与行为相关的环境。这项提案旨在通过设计， 实施和共享高度创新的、社区驱动的神经行为记录和实时 可不间断、长达数月无线记录神经和脑电的时间处理平台 在大型自然环境中一群动物的行为活动。 我们将开发新一代超轻、全无线微型显微镜 (迷你望远镜)用于真正自然行为的动物的神经成像。这些无线MINSCOPE将是 通过远距离供电技术远程供电，并能够通过 跨越数千个神经元的单个细胞分辨率。结合转基因小鼠品系，这些 无线微型望远镜将在动物存活的几个月内持续记录神经活动， 在大型、丰富的环境中不间断地运行。一系列广泛的行为设备将 开发并本地集成到用于动物跟踪、分析复杂行为的平台中，以及 检测动物与环境的相互作用。为该项目建立的所有工具和技术都将积极 通过我们的开源网站和研讨会分享。神经和行为数据将被处理， 实时地，通过新的计算框架(硬件和软件)并公开共享 通过神经科学界可访问的在线数据库。 利用该平台进行的中试实验将考察其长期形成、稳定性和 行为学相关环境中海马区认知图谱的概化。一次 经过验证的后续实验将纳入神经科学界提出的任务 包括基础科学和神经系统疾病的研究。单个数据集 在这个平台上生成的将通过跟踪一群动物的复杂行为和神经活动 学习、回忆、睡眠、社会行为和衰老。这种新颖的方法有可能 从根本上改变神经科学研究的思考、实施和共享方式 这无疑将为神经功能和紊乱提供新的见解。

A major challenge in neuroscience is to uncover how defined neural circuits in the brain encode, store, modify, and retrieve information. Adding to this challenge is the fact that neural function does not operate in isolation from but rather within living, behaving animals. To tackle this challenge, significant advancement of neural, behavioral, and computational tools is needed along with new experimental approaches to enable the detailed study of neural circuits within the context of complex behavior and naturalistic, ethologically relevant environments. This proposal aims to do exactly this by designing, implementing, and sharing a highly innovative, community driven, neuro-behavioral recording and real- time processing platform capable of uninterrupted, months-long wireless recording of neural and behavioral activity across a colony of animals in large, naturalistic environments. We will develop a new generation of ultra-light weight, fully wireless miniature microscopes (Miniscopes) for neural imaging in truly naturally behaving animals. These wireless Minsicopes will be powered remotely through power-over-distance technology and capable of imaging neural activity with single cell resolution across thousands of neurons. In combination with transgenic mouse lines, these wireless Miniscopes will continuously record neural activity across months as animals live, uninterrupted, in large, enriched environments. An extensive array of behavioral devices will be developed and natively integrated into the platform for animal tracking, parsing complex behaviors, and detecting animal-environment interactions. All tools and techniques built for this project will be actively shared through our open-source website and workshops. Neural and behavioral data will be processed, in real-time, through a novel computational framework (hardware and software) and shared openly through an online database accessible to the neuroscience community. Pilot experiments using this platform will investigate the long-term formation, stability, and generalization of hippocampal cognitive maps within ethologically relevant environments. Once validated, subsequent experiments will incorporate tasks proposed by the neuroscience community encompassing both basic science and investigation of neurological disorders. A single dataset generated with this platform will track a colony of animals’ complex behavior and neural activity through learning, recall, sleep, social behavior, and aging. This novel approach has the potential to fundamentally transform the way neuroscience research is thought about, implemented, and shared and will undoubtedly provide new insight into neural function and disorder.