NYSCF Innovator Develops Robotic System to Monitor Individual Neurons
NewsRecording electrical signals from individual neurons inside the living brain is a rich source of information about brain function and the role that neuron plays; however, this research is extremely difficult to perform, limiting its use to a handful of labs around the world. NYSCF – Robertson Neuroscience Investigator Dr. Ed Boyden and a team of researchers and engineers at MIT Media Lab developed a robotic system to automate this process, making this technique widely available to researchers of all skill levels. The system was described in the research journal Neuron.
Understanding the role of specific neurons is a fundamental building block to neuroscience research, including research into neurodegenerative disease. This technological innovation will allow for accelerated and democratized research into neuron function in labs around the world.