An award is made to the University of Colorado to do deep brain imaging using a novel miniature nonlinear microscope. Optical imaging methods combined with fluorescent markers offer the unprecedented ability to study functioning of the complex neural networks in the brain down to the resolution of individual neurons. However, due to light scattering in tissue, over 75% of the brain cannot be studied. Technology that offers the path for high resolution deep brain functional imaging is urgently needed in order to further advance the fundamental understanding of how the brain works. This project will investigate a fiber-optic imaging instrument incorporating adaptable optics. The miniature fiber-optic imaging system implanted minimally-invasively will enable visualization of thousands of neurons deep in the brain. The large volume of imaging is important for understanding the complex interconnections involved in neural networks while access to new regions of the brain will open up study in important areas of the brain that are currently not accessible with other techniques.
The work is interdisciplinary in nature, combining aspects of biology, materials science, physics, and engineering and will provide excellent opportunities for students to broaden their scientific knowledge outside of a specific discipline. The PI's will disseminate the results of their work through teaching and education outreach that includes student groups, undergraduate research opportunity programs and summer programs for under-represented undergraduates. Beyond basic research, results from this project will be used to further the understanding of brain function, advance artificial intelligence, and treat neurological disorders.
