Optical Instrumentation

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project  Summary:  Core  5,  Optical  Instrumentation    Working memory, the ability to temporarily hold multiple pieces of information in mind for manipulation, is  central to virtually all cognitive abilities. This multi-component research project aims to comprehensively  dissect the neural circuit mechanisms of this ability across multiple brain areas. Our projects have been  designed to take full advantage of new optics-based technologies developed in the BRAIN Initiative. It is  imperative that we continue to innovate and upgrade our instrumentation and methods as the cutting edge of  the field moves forward.  The Optical Instrumentation Core will develop, implement, and support the optical  microscopes and other optics-based instrumentation used in our projects to ensure that they represent the  best of the new technologies. To do so, we will leverage the technical and engineering expertise in Princeton?s  Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics and recruit additional staff devoted to constructing and maintaining  our state-of-the-art instruments. Our projects depend on the latest technology for two- and three-photon  calcium imaging at cellular resolution, laser-based optogenetic perturbation systems combined with  simultaneous imaging, and novel forms of widefield microscopy. Some of this instrumentation is based on  recent innovations in the labs of our PIs. In other cases, we will collaborate with colleagues at other  institutions who have developed innovative new methods. Creating an Optical Instrumentation Core will  address the problem that much of the technical work required to innovate and maintain these instruments has  shifted to students and postdocs, because it has exceeded the capacity of existing staff. This division of  labor is a problem for four reasons: (1) lab personnel often do not have sufficient time or expertise to produce  the best possible results, (2) the diffusion of responsibility leads people to duplicate one another?s efforts, (3)  researchers spend their time on technical work at the expense of doing science, and (4) expertise can be lost  as students and postdocs move on. For all these reasons, we propose to standardize this function across  projects to improve quality control and efficiency. Centralizing the design, construction, maintenance, and  support of these instruments will increase the efficiency and rigor of our microscopy experiments, while  freeing lab personnel to focus on designing experiments and collecting data.