# Commercialization of Enzyme Modified Carbon-Fiber Electrodes Paired with Voltammetry for Simultaneous Real-Time Monitoring of Electroactive and Non-Electroactive Species at Discrete Brain Locations

> **NIH NIH R44** · PINNACLE TECHNOLOGY, INC · 2022 · $907,224

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Commercially available, real-time molecular monitoring technologies are designed to selectively
measure only one molecule at a time at a given recording site. This is a problem because chemical
signals in the brain do not work in isolation; rather, neurotransmission involves many chemical
species simultaneously working to modulate neural circuits. Quantitative analysis of these
neurochemical signals is a critical first step when developing therapeutic strategies to treat
neurological/psychological disorders, but little is known about how specific neurochemicals
fluctuate relative to one another. The Sombers Lab has established the feasibility of using fast-
scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) and carbon-fiber microelectrodes for the real-time detection of
dopamine fluctuations while simultaneously detecting non-electroactive species, such as glucose
and lactate, at the same recording site. The microbiosensors have higher spatial and temporal
resolution than currently available technologies, minimal analyte consumption, and they can be
easily integrated into existing protocols. During Phase I, a 7-um probe was developed and
commercialized that can simultaneously measure dopamine and glucose in real time, at
single micron-scale recording sites in vivo. A software suite and FSCV tutorials were
developed. In Phase II, we will develop and commercialize 7-um dopamine/lactate,
dopamine/glutamate, and serotonin/glucose sensors. We will develop additional tutorials to
simplify access to this important technology, and we will continue to develop software and
electronics. Overall, this project is innovative, because it departs from the status quo by utilizing
the redox activity inherent to enzymatically generated H2O2 to identify targeted non-electroactive
species, even in the presence of electroactive molecules that are typically excluded as
interferents. It is significant, because it combines two state-of-the-art and well-characterized
technologies for neurochemical monitoring in a clever, straightforward, and unprecedented
manner. Ultimately, this project will provide the community with a sensor suite that can be used
to study the interplay of a range of critical analytes in complex physiological processes ranging
from basic endocrine function to motivation. It promises to have a transformative effect on
neuroscience by allowing researchers interested in diverse aspects of brain function to better
understand how these specific neurochemicals co-fluctuate in discrete brain locations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10603193
- **Project number:** 2R44MH119870-03
- **Recipient organization:** PINNACLE TECHNOLOGY, INC
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID A JOHNSON
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $907,224
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10603193

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10603193, Commercialization of Enzyme Modified Carbon-Fiber Electrodes Paired with Voltammetry for Simultaneous Real-Time Monitoring of Electroactive and Non-Electroactive Species at Discrete Brain Locations (2R44MH119870-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10603193. Licensed CC0.

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