Diversity Supplement for Arlo Marquez

项目摘要 这个项目的目标是演示一个可以与 通过植入的全光学仪器观察颈迷走神经中的单个轴突。 处理单个轴突需要在几个深度处的单个微米空间分辨率 嗯。报告和调制是通过入射的多光子吸收实现的 红外光和可见光光谱中的荧光检测。光学系统必须 精确地聚焦于单个轴突，并保持一微米的对准 动物呼吸时的耐受性，最终在实验中是运动时的耐受性。运动的运动 动物不得造成损害或引发排斥，这反过来又要求 植入物的机械性能与周围软组织相匹配。 现有的生物成像技术都无法满足这些要求。因此，这份副刊 将支持和推进父赠款的目标，以创建一个新的软梯度类别 在植入或动物运动的压力下变形的折射率光学元件。这些将是 由具有永久折射率的光学图案化的软固体聚合物创建 折射率梯度，以与现有玻璃微内窥镜相同的方式聚焦光线 但具有改进的性能，例如像差校正。拟议的生物成像 技术将改善现有玻璃微内窥镜的性能， 宽带、高分辨率的神经调节，同时也匹配组织模数 启用慢性植入。 为了延长这些镜片在弯曲时的性能，我们建议将 应力松弛化学作用于聚合物的固体基质。共价适应性 网络塑性变形，以响应应变，例如由注入或 有动静。我们已经证明，它们消除了压力引起的双折射，通常 限制了聚合物光学元件的性能。我们假设该方案在应用于 这些柔软的聚合物光学元件，也将改善在应变下的性能。 在此，我们为Arlo Marquez-Grap先生申请为期三年的研究生培训经费， 他正在加州大学攻读材料科学与工程博士学位 科罗拉多州博尔德。Marquez-Grap先生在光学和材料方面有很强的背景， 对生物医学材料有着浓厚的兴趣。这项工作将为他提供广泛的培训 光学成像、神经科学、生物材料和独立研究。一个全面的 导师计划将提供职业发展和培训，以启动他的职业生涯 一名独立研究人员。

Project Summary The goal of this project is to demonstrate a bench-top system that can interface with individual axons in the cervical vagus nerve through an implanted, all-optical instrument. Addressing individual axons requires single micron spatial resolution at a depth of several mm. Reporting and modulation are achieved through multiphoton absorption of incident infrared light and detection of fluorescence in the visible spectrum. The optical system must be precisely focused on individual axons and maintain this alignment with one micron tolerance as the animal breaths and, in eventual experiments, moves. Movement of the animal must not cause damage or initiate rejection, which in turn requires that the mechanical properties of the implant match the surrounding soft tissue. No existing bioimaging technology can meet these requirements. Thus, this supplement will support and advance the aim of the parent grant to create a new class of soft gradient index optics that deform under strain of implantation or animal movement. These will be created from soft solid polymers that are optically patterned with a permanent refractive index gradient that focuses light in the same manner as existing glass micro-endoscopes but with improved performance such as aberration correction. The proposed bio-imaging technology will improve the performance of existing glass micro-endoscopes for deep, broad-bandwidth, high-resolution neuromodulation while also matching tissue modulus to enable chronic implantation. To extend the performance of these lenses during bending, we propose to incorporate stress relaxation chemistry into the solid matrix of the polymer. Covalent adaptable networks plastically deform in response to strain such as that caused by implantation or movement. We have shown these eliminate stress-induced birefringence that typically limits the performance of polymer optics. We hypothesize this scheme, when applied to these soft polymer optics, will also improve performance under strain. Here we request funds for three years of graduate training for Mr. Arlo Marquez-Grap, who is pursuing his doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Mr. Marquez-Grap has a strong background in optics and materials and is keenly interested in materials for biomedicine. This work will provide him broad training in optical imaging, neuroscience, biomaterials and independent research. A comprehensive mentoring plan will provide professional development and training to launch his career as an independent researcher.