Headborne autopatchers for autonomous intracellular recordings in freely moving, behaving rats

University Of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN

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Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY This proposal is submitted in response to the NINDS Exploratory Neuroscience Research Grant program. The proposal develops a technology platform that will enable the measurement of intracellular activities from identified cell types in fully intact, functional circuits in awake, freely moving, behaving rodents in a fully automated fashion. The application proposes to develop a novel headborne recording headstage capable of multi-axis, programmatic control of a patch pipette that is guided by recently developed algorithms that enable automated whole cell patch clamping in vivo. The three Specific Aims provide for a systematic development of the proposed technologies. AIM 1 develops a miniaturized headborne recordings device consisting of programmable three axis linear stage, custom pipette mounting device and a microchip patch amplifier. AIM 2 develops passive brain stabilization techniques to increase yield and stability of intracellular recordings during free behavior. AIM 3 will utilize the whole platform to obtain whole cell patch clamp recordings in freely moving rats performing decision-making behavioral tasks. This project utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to develop a robotic platform that removes a critical barrier for studying neuronal circuit functioning with a high degree of cell and circuit specificity during behavior. The successful development of this technology platform will empower neuroscientists to map the activities of neurons in specific circuits throughout the nervous system, enabling a mechanistic understanding of how circuits function in behaviors, and reveal how cells and circuits go awry in pathological states.