# Maximizing flexibility: Optimized neural probes and electronics for long term, high bandwidth recordings

> **NIH NIH U01** · RICE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $1,017,364

## Abstract

The brain is a massively interconnected network of specialized circuits. Three characteristics of these circuits
make them particularly challenging: diversity of time scales, diversity of spatial scales, and heterogeneity.
Understanding the brain therefore requires spanning these temporal and spatial scales and providing information
about cell-types. We need to be able to record the activity of individual neurons across time to understand activity
patterns on a millisecond timescale and how those patterns evolve with experience across hours, days, months
and even years. We need to be able to record throughout a cortical region, spanning both different parts of the
region as well as all layers, to understand both local and distributed information processing. We also need to be
able to combine these dense and distributed recordings with imaging to take advantage of the complementary
strengths of electrical and optical measurements. This is hindered by multiple challenges: 1) Current approaches
lack the spatial extent (spanning multiple structures) required to examine three-dimensional or distributed
networks in detail. 2) Current electrophysiological approaches (which do provide the millisecond resolution)
typically lack the necessary lifetime to follow long-term dynamics. 3) Current electrophysiological approaches
use rigid electrodes that are ill-suited to use with imaging techniques. The overall objective of this project is to
optimize a suite of complementary technologies that can address these challenges for the community and make
them ready for common use by the neuroscience community. Our central hypothesis is that our recently
developed nanoelectronic thread (NET) devices, which have demonstrated biocompatibility, in vivo function
longevity, high quality unit recording and compatibility with optical methods, are a potentially ideal candidate for
understanding patterns of brain activity. We plan to develop a selection of NET probes and high-density arrays
that are suitable for multiple brain regions in different spices. We will engage expert neuroscientists, allowing us
to develop and optimize NETs that work across mouse, rat and marmoset, and to expedite the delivery of
resulting technologies to the scientific community. We will pursue the following three specific aims: 1) To optimize
NET probes for various brain regions and species.; 2) To optimize NET probes for high-density regional and
distributed recordings; and 3) To determine the best devices for each species and brain regions. The approach
is innovative, because the technology we will develop and put into common use has the potential to drive
innovation throughout the field, enabling new, very high density recording studies and allowing investigators to
track large ensembles of neurons in unprecedented details and time duration.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10241922
- **Project number:** 5U01NS115588-02
- **Recipient organization:** RICE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Loren M Frank
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,017,364
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10241922

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10241922, Maximizing flexibility: Optimized neural probes and electronics for long term, high bandwidth recordings (5U01NS115588-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10241922. Licensed CC0.

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