Whitaker International Fellow, 2008-09

Home Institution: Cornell University

Host Country, Institution: Switzerland, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research

Project Title: Patterned Optical Stimulation of Neuronal Circuits Using Digital Light Processing (DLP) Technology

Project Abstract:

Novel molecular tools such as channelrhodopsin-2 permit the manipulation of neuronal activity by light with high spatial and temporal precision. To exploit the potential of these tools for studies of neural circuits, we will construct a digital light processing (DLP) device for patterned optical stimulation of neurons in the intact brain. The device will be integrated into a 2-photon microscope and used to manipulate activity patterns in the intact olfactory system of zebrafish. Optical stimulation will be combined with calcium imaging to map neuronal connectivity and to explore how the processing of activity patterns depends on their spatial and temporal structure.