The Technical Advancement Core (TA-Core) has the overall goal of providing critical and appropriate expertise to use new technologies within CSORDA Projects and Pilots, as well as to advance and optimize these technologies for addiction-related research. The Core will also provide consultation (through Dr. Art Arnold) regarding analysis of potential sex differences observed in the animal experiments. The primary areas of technological contributions to the Center are in transcriptomics and bioinformatics (William Yang and Giovanni Coppola) and in MRI imaging (Brigitte Kieffer), which is reflected by the majority of resource allocation to these areas. The Core will additionally provide expertise and technical development for miniaturized microscopes (Peyman Golshani), wireless optoprobe (Wendy Walwyn) and silicon microprobe multi-recording devices (Sotiris Masmanidis). The Core Leaders, (Drs. Yang and Golshani) are both productive researchers, highly collaborative and experienced in leadership of shared resources and will have oversight of the administrative aspects and reporting of the core The Transcriptomics and Bioinformatics component will provide expertise for Projects I and IV as well as Pilot I and aid in characterization of mice for the AB-Core. The TA-Core leverages existing UCLA and NIH- supported infrastructure at UCLA specifically developed to support neuroscience investigators with genetics, genomics, sequencing, and bioinformatics experiments, therefore providing CSORDA faculty with a depth of technical expertise. The MRI imaging component will contribute to aims in Projects II and IV. This is an emerging technology to determine high-resolution brain region connectivity with the potential to guide future CSORDA research to areas connected with the circuitry investigated in current CSORDA Projects. The Miniaturized Microscope component will be utilized in Project I and Pilot IV for calcium imaging and striatum circuit analysis following opioid treatments. Development of the technology for addiction and CSORDA-related research will focus on combining the miniaturized microscopes with drug delivery systems for future experiments allowing direct analysis of neuronal networks by local drugs perfusion. The Silicon Microprobe Multi-Recording Devices component will be utilized in Pilot III to assess modulation of striatal network response to natural rewards during opioid withdrawal. Development of the technology will employ optogenetics for cell-specific analysis and activity modulation of D1 and D2 Medium Spiny Neurons. The Wireless Optoprobe component will be utilized in Projects I, III and IV. The core will improve the battery, modify the design to include bilateral probes and alter the communication system to enhance range. The TA-Core will be integral to current and future technical approaches utilized by CSORDA.
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