Optocapacitive Stimulation of Neurons: A new pathway in neuroscience

Prof Paul Stoddart
Director, ARC Training Centre in Biodevices,
Swinburne University of Technology

Time: 20 February 2018, 18:30 AEDT (Networking from 18:00)

Venue: The Unicorn Club, MHSOBA Melbourne High School, Forrest Hill, South Yarra

Abstract

Emerging techniques for the optical stimulation of nerves are having a major impact in neuroscience, providing new ways to study the nervous system and influence its function. While techniques based on optogenetics and photoactive molecules require the introduction of exogenous light responsive materials, it is known that neurons can also be stimulated directly by the transient heating associated with the absorption of infrared light by water. However, all of these techniques are limited by the penetration depth of the visible or infrared wavelengths in tissue. Gold nanoparticles with a plasmon absorption peak in the near-infrared transmission window of tissue have been used to improve the efficiency of infrared neural stimulation. Gold nanorods were stabilized by the addition of a polyelectrolyte layer or a silica shell. After incubation with the coated particles, NG108-15 neuronal cells showed good preservation of proliferation and cell membrane integrity. When spiral ganglion neurons were cultured with the nanorods and exposed to 780 nm light, patch clamp experiments exhibited action potentials. These results demonstrate that nanorod absorbers can enhance the process of infrared neural stimulation, suggesting potential future applications in neural prostheses.

Biography

Paul Stoddart graduated with BSc (Honours) in physics and PhD in laser spectroscopy from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. After working on industry-focused surface science and microanalysis problems in a national lab for three years, he joined Swinburne University of Technology in 2001. He is currently the Director of Swinburne’s Australian Research Council Training Centre in Biodevices, which received the Vice-Chancellor’s Engagement Award in 2014. As a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Swinburne, his research interests include applied optics, biophotonics and medical devices, with a particular focus in the areas of optical nerve stimulation, optical fibre sensors and Raman spectroscopy.