BIOENGINEERING SOLUTIONS TO REAL WORLD PROBLEMS

Basis for in vivo Recording of Neuronal

Activity During Behavioral Assays
Clinical Need
In the field of neuroscience, a primary goal is to understand how neuronal
activity affects specific behaviors. Currently, questions can be asked about
neuronal populations by examining ex vivo preparations after a behavior is
observed, but this doesn’t show the activity of neurons during the behavior. In
order to observe behaving neurons, in vivo recording techniques must be
employed. Recording from a live brain is difficult due to the fact that no
companies offer widely accessible set-ups for in vivo recording techniques and
the set-ups that are offered are extremely expensive. In addition, the recording
techniques produce a huge amount of data with no standardized processing
techniques. In order to overcome these barriers, there is a need to standardize an
“Our simple
in vivo recording tool and develop software that allows for easy analysis of the
hypothesis is that
data produced.
dynorphin encodes
the dysphoric effects
of stressful experience
that increase the
Bioengineering Solution motivation for
The Chavkin Lab seeks to construct the hardware needed for in vivo recording. euphoric/addictive
This hardware includes the microdrive that will be placed on the animal’s head drugs. Understanding
and fiber bundles which will act as optical controls for the in vivo recording. the molecular and
The hardware will either be recording GCaMP, a genetically encoded calcium cellular mechanisms
indicator, or electrophysiological signals from the brain to determine neuronal of these actions has
activity. In addition, the Chavkin Lab seeks to develop programs to (1) link therapeutic
specific time points of behavior to time points in recorded data and (2) analyze implications for the
the data for trends in behavior-linked neuronal activity. The in vivo recording treatment of
technology will be tested in dopamine neurons because many behaviors have addiction.”
already been examined and linked to dopamine circuits so this allows for
verification and validation of results. A simple Kappa Opioid Receptor (KOR)- Charles Chavkin,
dependent behavioral assay will be chosen as the basis for in vivo recording. Ph.D., Professor

Current Status and Results Personnel

Current research at the Chavkin lab shows that the dynorphin/KOR system is Mackenzie Andrews
activated by stress and that there is a specific timeline between stress induction Antony Abraham
and drug seeking behavior which is mediated through dopamine. These results
were found through optogenetic approaches and offer hypotheses as to how Charles Chavkin
neuronal activity is affecting behavior. In the field, in vivo recording of neuronal
activity has been done with mini-microscopes implanted on a mouse’s head, Funding
however the focal range of the microscope doesn’t allow for recording from National Institute of
deep brain regions and the setup is very bulky. Drug Abuse
National Institute of
Mental Health
17 April 2017
Concept Sheet