Sunday, August 17, 2025 8/17/2025

Optimization of Calcium and RNA multiplexed activity imaging for highly parallelized evaluation of cell type functions in deep-brain structures

Award Number: U01NS126054
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2026

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Optimization of Calcium and RNA multiplexed activity imaging for highly parallelized evaluation of cell type functions in deep-brain structures - PROJECT SUMMARY A central goal of neuroscience is to understand animal behavior in the context of the information processing properties of neuron ensembles. Neurons are circuit nodes in the brain information processing network, but they are also cells that express hundreds of genes that may make important contributions to determining their activity patterns. The relationship between gene expression, neuron projections, neuron activity, and behavior have been, individually, major avenues for investigation in both molecular and systems neuroscience. Integrating these levels of investigation would greatly advance understanding the influence of molecular properties on neuron information processing characteristics in healthy brains and disease states. In this project, which we refer to as CaRMA 2.0, we propose to develop and democratize methodologies to integrate measurements of transcriptomics, projectomics, calcium dynamics, and behavior in deep-brain structures. This proposal builds on our past success to develop and implement Calcium and RNA Multiplexed Activity (CaRMA) imaging, which combines these levels of investigation into a single large-scale experiment. This is achieved by deep-brain two-photon calcium imaging in a behaving mouse, followed by removing and sectioning the brain, aligning the ex vivo image volume with the in vivo-imaged neurons, and then performing multiple rounds of RNA-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on the same tissue. To reliably produce these high dimensional, multi-modal datasets requires significant advancements for “Optimization of Transformative Technologies for Large Scale Recording and Modulation in the Nervous System” as indicated in this RFA-NS-18-019 program announcement. We will develop improved technologies for deep-brain calcium imaging as well as highly multiplexed gene expression analysis on the same cells and apply this pipeline to investigate the mPFC, hindbrain, and the role of the lateral hypothalamus in hunger, thirst, and fear.


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: 2025 ( Subtotal = $639,097 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	4	7/15/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$639,097
2025	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	3/14/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $639,097

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $656,111 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	3	7/24/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$656,111
2024	2023	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	2	7/2/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $656,111

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $827,014 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DRIVE	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	2	7/31/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$827,014
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DRIVE	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	002	2	8/7/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2023	2022	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DRIVE	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	6/9/2023	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $827,014

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $842,795 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	8/25/2022	NEW	$842,795
														Subtotal = $842,795

Grand Total All Awards = $2,965,017

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Optimization of Calcium and RNA multiplexed activity imaging for highly parallelized evaluation of cell type functions in deep-brain structures

Award Number: U01NS126054

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2026

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer