# Metasurface-Dressed Nanophotonic Neural Interfaces for Multipoint Concurrent Optogenetic Modulation and Calcium Mapping

> **NIH NIH R21** · PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE · 2020 · $457,844

## Abstract

Metasurface-Dressed Nanophotonic Neural Interfaces for Multipoint Concurrent Optogenetic
Modulation and Calcium Mapping
 Large-scale recording of neural activity while manipulating arbitrary neurons in freely behaving animals are
important for answering many key questions in neuroscience. Optogenetics offers great potential for studying
brain function and developing novel therapies for neurological disorders. Taking full advantage of that potential
will require stable access for optical stimulation and concurrent monitoring of neural activity. Although the recent
technology development allows optogenetic tools to be integrated with electrodes for simultaneous
electrophysiological recording, electrical readout in general cannot select for specific classes of neurons. This is
instead possible with genetically encoded neural activity indicators (GEAIs), such as fluorescent calcium
indicators. Those GEAIs respond to a variation of neural activity by changing their fluorescence intensity and are
widely adopted in microscopy techniques in vivo to monitor the activities of cortical neural circuits. However,
deep brain regions are widely not accessible for microscopy and the most common technique to collect light
emitted from GEAIs remains the use of large core optical fibers and is limited to a single and relatively small
volume of the neural tissue. The vision of the proposed program is to develop a new multipoint optical neural
interface with single-optical-waveguide form factor to enable concurrent high-spatial resolution optogenetic
stimulation and calcium mapping, making it possible to modulate and monitor of neural activities at the single-
neuron level for investigation of neural circuit functions. Based on the newly developed metasurface-dressed
photonic integrated waveguide concept, we will create and validate in vitro a miniaturized, fully integrated,
multipoint optogenetic module that can achieve ultrahigh spatial resolution (and accuracy) for light
delivery/collection to/from a designated spot in the neural tissue. We envision that this multi-disciplinary and
integrative development will result in a new and powerful neural modulating and monitoring platform for
investigation of neural circuit functions in deep brain regions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10047885
- **Project number:** 1R21EY031853-01
- **Recipient organization:** PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE
- **Principal Investigator:** Xingjie Ni
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $457,844
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10047885

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10047885, Metasurface-Dressed Nanophotonic Neural Interfaces for Multipoint Concurrent Optogenetic Modulation and Calcium Mapping (1R21EY031853-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10047885. Licensed CC0.

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