Abstract - Will Smith
The goal of the Cal-BRAIN is to develop technologies for brain-wide imaging. Reaching this goal will rely on model organisms. We propose the development of a unique model organism that will allow the simultaneous recording of neural activity in all cells of a simple chordate nervous system – the tunicate Ciona. Because of their close evolutionary ties, tunicates and vertebrates share a similar physiology and anatomy. Furthermore, the central nervous system in larval Ciona shows a remarkably well-converged structure with vertebrate nervous systems, yet contains only 170 nerve cells. The larvae have several sensory pathways, including photoreception, gravity reception, mechanoreception, and possibly chemoreception. The behavior of the larvae – in particular the modulation of their swimming behavior – in response to various stimuli has been well characterized. Many of the tools needed to achieve a comprehensive imaging of CNS activity in Ciona are in place. This includes a nearly complete connectome derived from serial electron micrograph sections, and the genetic tools to derive expression of reporters in the brain. Our team will include groups with expertise in transgenesis and Ciona imaging (Smith, UCSB), computer vision (Manjunath, UCSB), high-speed image capture and analysis (Liebling, UCSB), connectomics (Ian Meinertzhagen, Dalhousie University), and microfluidics (Bothman, UCSB).
AWARDS
| Principal Investigator | Institution | Title | Abstract |
| Andersen, Richard | California Institute of Technology | Engineering Artificial Sensation | View |
| Andrews, Anne | University of California, Los Angeles | Nanoscale Neurotransmitter Sensors | View |
| Bloodgood, Brenda | University of California San Diego | A novel toolkit for visualizing and manipulating activity-induced transcription in living brain. | View |
| Chaumeil, Myriam | University of California, San Francisco | In vivo metabolic imaging of neuroinflammation using hyperpolarized 13C | View |
| Cleary, Michael | University of California, Merced | Capturing physiological maps of neural gene expression | View |
| Cohen, Bruce | University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Nano-optogenetic control of neuronal firing with targeted nanocrystals | View |
| Dai, Hongjie | Stanford University | Deep brain imaging of single neurons in the second near-infrared optical window | View |
| Hall, Drew | University of California, San Diego | Magnetic Monitoring of Neural Activity using Magnetoresistive Nanosensors | View |
| Krubitzer, Leah | University of California, Davis | An integrated system to monitor, image, and regulate neural activity | View |
| Kubby, Joel | University of California, Santa Cruz | Three-Photon Microscopy with Adaptive Optics for Deep Tissue Brain Activity Imaging | View |
| Melosh, Nicholas | Stanford University | Parallel Solid State Intracellular Patch-Clamping with Biomimetic Probes | View |
| Park, B. Hyle | University of California, Riverside | Label-free 4D optical detection of neural activity | View |
| Portera-Cailliau, Carlos | University of California, Los Angeles | High-speed interrogation of network activity with frequency domain multiplexing | View |
| Shanechi, Maryam | University of Southern California | Control-Theoretic Neuroprosthetic Design Using Electrocorticography Signals | View |
| Smith, Will | University of California, Santa Barbara | Whole brain imaging in a primative chordate | View |
| Wood, Marcelo | University of California, Irvine | Epigenetic PET tracer for cross-species investigation of age-related memory dysfunction | View |