Simultaneously recording from multiple sub-regions of the hippocampus is of great interests since it is critical for understanding the roles that the hippocampus plays in memory formation. Because of the distinctive anatomical structures of the hippocampus, conformal electrodes are required to record simultaneously from different sub-regions of the hippocampus. In this project, we collaborate with the Biomedical Microsystems Laboratory (BML) to develop a flexible multi-shanks electrode which uses Parylene C as a base and has multiple recording sites positioned according to the anatomical structure of cell body layers that conform to the curvy shape of the hippocampus. The layout of the neural probe is designed based on histology results and neural activities recorded with micro-wires in vivo.
This collaboration is part of the Integrated NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE) project. Together with Dr. Ellis Meng at BML, Dr. James Weiland at USC CVST, Dr. Aaron McGee at CHLA, and Dr. Hossein Hashemi at USC EE Department, we aims to develop a fully implantable bioelectronic system for recording from untethered behaving rodents. With such a system, important questions such as how neural circuits develop over time and how the hippocampus encodes complex memories during natural behaviors in natural environments can be addressed.
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