skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Fabrication and application of flexible, multimodal light-emitting devices for wireless optogenetics

Journal Article · · Nature Protocols
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [1];  [5];  [1];  [3]
  1. Washington Univ. School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States)
  2. Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon (South Korea); Inst. for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon (South Korea)
  3. Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
  4. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
  5. Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (United States)

The rise of optogenetics provides unique opportunities to advance materials and biomedical engineering, as well as fundamental understanding in neuroscience. This protocol describes the fabrication of optoelectronic devices for studying intact neural systems. Unlike optogenetic approaches that rely on rigid fiber optics tethered to external light sources, these novel devices carry wirelessly powered microscale, inorganic light-emitting diodes (μ-ILEDs) and multimodal sensors inside the brain. Here, we describe the technical procedures for construction of these devices, their corresponding radiofrequency power scavengers and their implementation in vivo for experimental application. In total, the timeline of the procedure, including device fabrication, implantation and preparation to begin in vivo experimentation, can be completed in ~3–8 weeks. Implementation of these devices allows for chronic (tested for up to 6 months) wireless optogenetic manipulation of neural circuitry in animals navigating complex natural or home-cage environments, interacting socially, and experiencing other freely moving behaviors.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; US National Institutes of Health Common Fund; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-07ER46471; FG02-07ER46453; R01DA037152; R00DA025182; R01NS081707; F31MH101956
OSTI ID:
1875435
Journal Information:
Nature Protocols, Vol. 8, Issue 12; ISSN 1754-2189
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (56)

Optogenetic interrogation of neural circuits: technology for probing mammalian brain structures journal February 2010
A simple head-mountable LED device for chronic stimulation of optogenetic molecules in freely moving mice journal May 2011
Tuning arousal with optogenetic modulation of locus coeruleus neurons. text January 2010
Targeted optogenetic stimulation and recording of neurons in vivo using cell-type-specific expression of Channelrhodopsin-2 journal January 2010
The Development and Application of Optogenetics journal July 2011
Silk-Based Conformal, Adhesive, Edible Food Sensors journal January 2012
Digital cameras with designs inspired by the arthropod eye journal May 2013
InxGa1−xN light emitting diodes on Si substrates fabricated by Pd–In metal bonding and laser lift-off journal October 2000
An Integrated μLED Optrode for Optogenetic Stimulation and Electrical Recording journal January 2013
Printed Assemblies of Inorganic Light-Emitting Diodes for Deformable and Semitransparent Displays journal August 2009
Optogenetic Inactivation Modifies Monkey Visuomotor Behavior journal December 2012
Tuning arousal with optogenetic modulation of locus coeruleus neurons journal October 2010
Excitatory transmission from the amygdala to nucleus accumbens facilitates reward seeking journal June 2011
Optogenetic investigation of neural circuits underlying brain disease in animal models journal March 2012
Wireless Activation of Neurons in Brain Slices Using Nanostructured Semiconductor Photoelectrodes journal February 2009
Optogenetic strategies to investigate neural circuitry engaged by stress journal October 2013
Input-specific control of reward and aversion in the ventral tegmental area journal October 2012
Recombinase-Driver Rat Lines: Tools, Techniques, and Optogenetic Application to Dopamine-Mediated Reinforcement journal December 2011
Microscale Inorganic Light-Emitting Diodes on Flexible and Stretchable Substrates journal April 2012
Recombinase-Driver Rat Lines: Tools, Techniques, and Optogenetic Application to Dopamine-Mediated Reinforcement text January 2011
Injectable, Cellular-Scale Optoelectronics with Applications for Wireless Optogenetics journal April 2013
Construction of implantable optical fibers for long-term optogenetic manipulation of neural circuits journal December 2011
Optogenetics in Neural Systems journal July 2011
Molecular and Cellular Approaches for Diversifying and Extending Optogenetics journal April 2010
Thermal analysis of injectable, cellular-scale optoelectronics with pulsed power journal September 2013
A Physically Transient Form of Silicon Electronics journal September 2012
Thermal analysis of injectable, cellular-scale optoelectronics with pulsed power
  • Li, Y.; Shi, X.; Song, J.
  • Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 469, Issue 2156, Article No. 20130142 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2013.0142
journal May 2013
Millisecond-Timescale Optical Control of Neural Dynamics in the Nonhuman Primate Brain journal April 2009
Optogenetics in primates: a shining future? journal July 2013
Temporally precise in vivo control of intracellular signalling journal March 2009
Distinct extended amygdala circuits for divergent motivational states journal March 2013
Wireless Activation of Neurons in Brain Slices Using Nanostructured Semiconductor Photoelectrodes journal March 2009
Optogenetic identification of striatal projection neuron subtypes during in vivo recordings journal May 2013
A wireless neural/EMG telemetry system for freely moving insects
  • Harrison, Reid R.; Kier, Ryan J.; Leonardo, Anthony
  • 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems - ISCAS 2010, Proceedings of 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems https://doi.org/10.1109/ISCAS.2010.5538034
conference May 2010
Waterproof AlInGaP optoelectronics on stretchable substrates with applications in biomedicine and robotics journal October 2010
Locus Coeruleus Kappa-Opioid Receptors Modulate Reinstatement of Cocaine Place Preference Through a Noradrenergic Mechanism journal June 2013
Design and generation of recombinant rabies virus vectors journal July 2013
An inexpensive drivable cannulated microelectrode array for simultaneous unit recording and drug infusion in the same brain nucleus of behaving rats journal August 2011
High-Efficiency, Microscale GaN Light-Emitting Diodes and Their Thermal Properties on Unusual Substrates journal March 2012
Dissolvable films of silk fibroin for ultrathin conformal bio-integrated electronics journal April 2010
New Rabies Virus Variants for Monitoring and Manipulating Activity and Gene Expression in Defined Neural Circuits journal August 2011
Diverging neural pathways assemble a behavioural state from separable features in anxiety journal March 2013
Multiwaveguide implantable probe for light delivery to sets of distributed brain targets journal January 2010
Optogenetic Interrogation of Dopaminergic Modulation of the Multiple Phases of Reward-Seeking Behavior journal July 2011
A wireless multi-channel neural amplifier for freely moving animals journal January 2011
Optogenetic strategies to investigate neural circuitry engaged by stress text January 2013
A wirelessly powered and controlled device for optical neural control of freely-behaving animals journal June 2011
Three-dimensional multiwaveguide probe array for light delivery to distributed brain circuits journal January 2012
Distinct extended amygdala circuits for divergent motivational states text January 2013
Chronic microsensors for longitudinal, subsecond dopamine detection in behaving animals journal December 2009
Excitatory transmission from the amygdala to nucleus accumbens facilitates reward seeking text January 2011
Diode probes for spatiotemporal optical control of multiple neurons in freely moving animals journal July 2012
Optogenetics through windows on the brain in the nonhuman primate journal September 2013
An optogenetic toolbox designed for primates journal January 2011
Neural substrates of awakening probed with optogenetic control of hypocretin neurons journal October 2007
Amygdala circuitry mediating reversible and bidirectional control of anxiety journal March 2011

Cited By (48)

Wireless opto-electro neural interface for experiments with small freely behaving animals journal June 2018
Wirelessly powered, fully internal optogenetics for brain, spinal and peripheral circuits in mice journal August 2015
Microfluidic neural probes: in vivo tools for advancing neuroscience journal January 2017
Stretchable multichannel antennas in soft wireless optoelectronic implants for optogenetics journal November 2016
Laser Transfer, Printing, and Assembly Techniques for Flexible Electronics journal May 2019
A low-cost, high-efficiency LED probe compatible with optical fiber port for optogenetics journal June 2019
Merging Biology and Solid‐State Lighting: Recent Advances in Light‐Emitting Diodes Based on Biological Materials journal December 2017
A wirelessly controlled implantable LED system for deep brain optogenetic stimulation journal February 2015
Near‐Infrared‐Light Activatable Nanoparticles for Deep‐Tissue‐Penetrating Wireless Optogenetics journal January 2019
A Singular System with Precise Dosing and Spatiotemporal Control of CRISPR‐Cas9 journal April 2019
Expanding the Toolbox of Upconversion Nanoparticles for In Vivo Optogenetics and Neuromodulation journal August 2019
Self-tracking Energy Transfer for Neural Stimulation in Untethered Mice text January 2015
Light-Controlled Mammalian Cells and Their Therapeutic Applications in Synthetic Biology text January 2019
Monolithic Flexible Vertical GaN Light-Emitting Diodes for a Transparent Wireless Brain Optical Stimulator journal May 2018
Wireless optofluidic brain probes for chronic neuropharmacology and photostimulation journal August 2019
Preparation and implementation of optofluidic neural probes for in vivo wireless pharmacology and optogenetics journal January 2017
Recent Advances in Flexible Inorganic Light Emitting Diodes: From Materials Design to Integrated Optoelectronic Platforms journal September 2018
Transfer printing of nanomaterials and microstructures using a wire bonder journal October 2019
A Singular System with Precise Dosing and Spatiotemporal Control of CRISPR‐Cas9 journal May 2019
Conformable Hybrid Systems for Implantable Bioelectronic Interfaces journal October 2019
Flexible, stretchable, and patchable organic devices integrated on freestanding polymeric substrates journal January 2015
Recent advances in free-standing single crystalline wide band-gap semiconductors and their applications: GaN, SiC, ZnO, β-Ga 2 O 3 , and diamond journal January 2017
Materials and Techniques for Implantable Nutrient Sensing Using Flexible Sensors Integrated with Metal-Organic Frameworks journal April 2018
Dissolvable tattoo sensors: from science fiction to a viable technology journal November 2016
Dynamic illumination of spatially restricted or large brain volumes via a single tapered optical fiber journal June 2017
Visualization of cortical, subcortical and deep brain neural circuit dynamics during naturalistic mammalian behavior with head-mounted microscopes and chronically implanted lenses
  • K., Namboodiri, Vijay Mohan; H., Jennings, Josh; Charles, Zhou, Zhe
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries https://doi.org/10.17615/2a7r-9q46
text January 2016
Locus coeruleus to basolateral amygdala noradrenergic projections promote anxiety-like behavior journal July 2017
Chronic and acute stress monitoring by electrophysiological signals from adrenal gland journal January 2019
Transparent intracortical microprobe array for simultaneous spatiotemporal optical stimulation and multichannel electrical recording journal October 2015
Micro- and Nanotechnologies for Optical Neural Interfaces journal March 2016
Optogenetics in Brain Research: From a Strategy to Investigate Physiological Function to a Therapeutic Tool journal August 2019
Miniaturized, Battery-Free Optofluidic Systems with Potential for Wireless Pharmacology and Optogenetics journal December 2017
Impact of Lanthanide Nanomaterials on Photonic Devices and Smart Applications journal July 2018
Microscale Inorganic LED Based Wireless Neural Systems for Chronic in vivo Optogenetics journal October 2018
Towards miniaturized closed-loop optogenetic stimulation devices journal January 2018
Architectural Representation of Valence in the Limbic System journal December 2015
Beyond solid-state lighting: Miniaturization, hybrid integration, and applications of GaN nano- and micro-LEDs journal December 2019
Fabrication and utility of a transparent graphene neural electrode array for electrophysiology, in vivo imaging, and optogenetics journal October 2016
Soft, smart contact lenses with integrations of wireless circuits, glucose sensors, and displays journal January 2018
Tissue–electronics interfaces: from implantable devices to engineered tissues journal November 2017
Effective Assembly of Nano-Ceramic Materials for High and Anisotropic Thermal Conductivity in a Polymer Composite journal September 2017
Rising Stars in Science and Technology: Luminescent Lanthanide Materials: Rising Stars in Science and Technology: Luminescent Lanthanide Materials journal November 2017
From nature to synthetic systems: shape transformation in soft materials journal January 2014
Tailoring light delivery for optogenetics by modal demultiplexing in tapered optical fibers journal March 2018
Light-Emitting Diodes with Hierarchical and Multifunctional Surface Structures for High Light Extraction and an Antifouling Effect journal November 2015
1 mm 3 -sized optical neural stimulator based on CMOS integrated photovoltaic power receiver journal April 2018
Locus coeruleus to basolateral amygdala noradrenergic projections promote anxiety-like behavior text January 2017
Timing matters: using optogenetics to chronically manipulate neural circuitry and rhythms journal January 2014