In an exciting development for neuroscience research, the Klug Lab has published a new paper detailing an innovative sapphire optrode that promises to enhance optogenetic experiments. This work represents an international collaboration between research teams from Macau, Guangzhou, UC Denver, and the Klug Lab at CU Anschutz.
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A Transparent Yet Durable Solution
The newly developed device combines neural recording capabilities across multiple channels with precise light stimulation through miniature LEDs embedded directly in a sapphire substrate. What makes this optrode particularly remarkable is the sapphire material itself—transparent like glass but with exceptional hardness that enhances both safety and targeting accuracy during experiments.
Flexible Design for Customized Research
One of the most significant advantages of this new technology is the ability to arrange recording sites and LED locations in arbitrary configurations. This flexibility will allow researchers in the future to customize the optrode layout for specific experimental requirements, potentially opening doors to novel experimental paradigms that were previously impossible to implement.
Enhancing Optogenetic Research
For those working in optogenetics—a technique that uses light to control cells in living tissue, typically neurons that have been genetically modified to express light-sensitive ion channels—this development represents a substantial leap forward. The integration of both recording and stimulation capabilities in a single, highly durable probe will enable more sophisticated experiments with greater precision.
The combination of multi-channel neural recording with targeted light delivery through integrated LEDs addresses a critical challenge in the field: simultaneous stimulation and recording at precise locations in neural tissue.
Citation:
Yanyan Xu, Ben-Zheng Li, Xinlong Huang, Yuebo Liu, Zhiwen Liang, Xien Yang, Lizhang Lin, Liyang Wang, Yu Xia, Matthew Ridenour, Yujing Huang, Zhen Yuan, Achim Klug, Sio Hang Pun, Tim C. Lei, Baijun Zhang:
Sapphire-Based Optrode for Low Noise Neural Recording and Optogenetic Manipulation
ACS Chemical Neuroscience Vol 16, 628-641, 2025.
