Topic: High-density microelectrode arrays

Artificial neural networks simplify complex biological circuits into tractable models for computational exploration and experimentation. However, the simplification of artificial models also undermines their applicability to real brain dynamics. Typical efforts to address this mismatch add complexity to increasingly unwieldy models. Here, we take a different approach; by reducing the complexity of a biological cortical culture, we aim to distil the essential factors of neuronal dynamics and plasticity. We leverage recent advances in growing neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hi

Recent advances in neuronal recording technology have facilitated the development of large-scale, high-density microelectrode arrays resulting in a substantial increase (>10x) in the number of neurons that can be studied simultaneously within a localized area of neural tissue. A prime example is the recent development of the Neuropixels probe, which consists of a high-channel count Si shank with continuous, dense, programmable recording sites (~1000/cm). Neuropixels probes have transformed neurophysiological studies in rodent models by enabling recording from large populations of neurons anywh

Precise timing of action potentials is crucial for processing sensory information. Axonal length and propagation speed largely determine the time necessary for action potentials to reach postsynaptic neurons. Within the retina, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons form the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), a highly organized layer with species-specific axonal arrangements. The human RNFL is characterized by unmyelinated axons, resulting in slow signal transmission, and by the presence of the fovea, a specialized region enabling high-resolution vision located temporally to the optic nerve head (i.