Research Projects

A human brain has more than 85 billion neurons, 100 trillion synapses and over 10 neurochemical transmitters. Much like chemistry before the periodic table, the lack of a systematic theory for classifying neurons still poses a big challenge to the field of neuroscience. Over the years, many researchers have tried to study the human brain using chemical means, non-invasive electrical recordings, and by spectroscopic methods. However, each of these techniques faces limitations when it comes to attaining the highest spatial and temporal resolution. Invasive electrophysiology allows us to record from a group of neurons down to a single neuron, and capture single unit spikes or local field potentials, giving us the highest spatial and temporal resolution. Over the last 20 years, this technique has proven to be the primary technology choice to study the human brain. Much like the Human Genome Project in the early 1990s, the world is currently working on the Human Connectome Project which focuses on collecting neural data and mapping the human brain. As technology has progressed over these years, these invasive electrodes have become smaller and more flexible, potentially leading to longer and more stable devices that can be implanted chronically. Companies such as Neuralink by Elon Musk, Facebook/CTRL Labs and Verily by Alphabet/Google have started operations to manufacture invasive microelectrodes as well. Through the proposed work, we wish to explore the next frontier in this field by developing multifunctional neural probes that are flexible, biocompatible and allow not just electrical recordings, but targeted neurostimulation and neurotransmitter detection capabilities as well. The proposed device will make use of thin film MEMS technology to domestically manufacture micron scale implants that can lend themselves to immediate commercialisation.