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Neuro-flakes: Direct Voltage Imaging of Neural Activity with Atomically-thin Optoelectronic Materials

Award Number: R21EY033676
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2025

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Neuro-flakes: Direct Voltage Imaging of Neural Activity with Atomically-thin Optoelectronic Materials - Neuro-flakes: Direct Voltage Imaging of Neural Activity with Atomically-thin Optoelectronic Materials Recording electrical activity of neural populations with high resolution is essential to investigate neural circuits and cognitive functions. Although electrophysiology remains to be a widespread tool in neuroscience, it lacks practical scalability and chronic stability needed to tackle large-scale information processing in the brain. Penetrating electrodes are highly destructive to the neural tissue when inserted in large numbers across multiple areas and number of channels that can be simultaneously recorded are limited to a few hundreds, even with the most advanced probes. On the other hand, optical technologies such as calcium imaging are capable of recording neural activity from large populations. However, calcium transients are slow and also not a direct representation of output information of neurons. They are a secondary marker of some electrical and nonelectrical changes in neurons leading to significant discrepancies between electrically recorded action potentials and calcium transients. Direct measurement of electric potentials at multiple spatial scales is crucial to investigate information integration, distribution and processing in the brain. Here, we propose a unique and innovative voltage imaging technology, Neuro-flakes, for all-optical large-scale monitoring of electrical activity of neuron populations. Neuro-flakes will combine three key innovations: (i) 3-atom thick MoS2 nanosheets will provide quantum confinement-based excitonic photoluminescence for direct voltage sensing of neural activity across multiple spatial scales, (ii) Planar and injectable Neuro-flakes will serve as a nontoxic, nongenetic, and photostable alternative to genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) with a potential for human applications in the future, and (iii) MoS2 has a radiative lifetime on the order of several picoseconds, potentially enabling optical detection of neural activity with extraordinary temporal resolution. Neuro-flakes will combine the advantages of electrophysiology with the convenience of optical imaging, without the invasiveness of or the need for electrical wires, to directly probe voltages generated by single neurons and neuronal microcircuits at multiple spatial and temporal scales.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $177,973 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Vision Research	000	3	3/13/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$177,973
														Subtotal = $177,973

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $178,945 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DRIVE	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Vision Research	000	2	4/19/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$178,945
														Subtotal = $178,945

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $219,365 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Vision Research	000	1	3/30/2022	NEW	$219,365
														Subtotal = $219,365

Grand Total All Awards = $576,283

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Neuro-flakes: Direct Voltage Imaging of Neural Activity with Atomically-thin Optoelectronic Materials

Award Number: R21EY033676

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2025

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