The emerging field of optogenetics and optopharmacology – using light to engage biological systems –holds tremendous promise for dissection of neural circuits, cellular signaling and manipulating neurophysiological systems in awake, behaving animals. However, the technological limits of these fields for implementing optogenetics and optopharmacology in dissecting the key neural circuits in awake, freely-moving behavior become clear when working with paradigms that require discrete spatiotemporal control, animal-to-animal contact, home cage behavior, natural environments. The most notable challenges derive from the decades old use of cannulas for pharmacological infusions in the field of neuroscience, and the more recent adoption of tethered fiber optics for in vivo optogenetics. Unfortunately, these current methods are rather crude and difficult to implement because they severely limit the animal’s range of motion, greatly damage the brain region of interest, and restrict interaction with the biologically relevant modalities in the brain. Moreover, current technology lacks sub-cellular, spatiotemporal control of drug delivery, wireless control, and multi-functionality. 

To tackle this significant neuroscience challenge, we have developed soft optofluidic neural implants that offer programmable wireless drug delivery and photostimulation in freely behaving animals. This talk summarizes recent progress in the soft wireless optofluidic neural interface technologies. The devices integrate microscale inorganic light-emitting diodes and microfluidic drug delivery systems with wireless interface. This design enables compact, lightweight, soft and flexible system, thus facilitating seamless implantation and operation in the brain without causing disturbance of naturalistic behavior. We have successfully demonstrated wireless capabilities of these devices in freely moving animals that can deliver pharmacological agents, and provide concurrent photostimulation with drug delivery to manipulate reward-related behavior. The minimally-invasive operation of the soft wireless optofluidic implants forecasts broad utility in chornic in vivo pharmacology and optogenetics, with potential for broad application in biomedical science, engineering, and medicine.

报告人简历：

Dr. Jae-Woong Jeong is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He received his PhD degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 2012, and worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2012 to 2014. Before joining KAIST, he was an Assistant Professor of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering at University of Colorado, Boulder from 2015 to 2017. Dr. Jeong’s research focus is in the future generation bio-integrated electronics and systems for brain research and advanced healthcare. He is a senior member of IEEE and the recipient of BMES Career Development Award, Samsung Global Research Outreach Award, and University of Colorado Outstanding Research Award.

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