Course Meeting Times
Sessions: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session
Course Description
This course, as a part of MIT's Center for Neurobiological Engineering curriculum, explores cutting-edge neurotechnology that is essential for advances in all aspects of neuroscience, including improvements in existing methods as well as the development, testing and discussion of completely new paradigms. Readings and in-class sessions cover the fields of electrophysiology, light microscopy, cellular engineering, optogenetics, electron microscopy, MRI / fMRI, and MEG / EEG. The course is designed with lectures that cover the background, context, and theoretical descriptions of neurotechnologies, and labs, which provide firsthand demonstrations as well as in situ lab tours.
Please see the Course Publicity page about the blog series by Amy Robinson for Scientific American and EyeWire.
Grading
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| In-class quizzes | 30% |
| Homework Assignments | 30% |
| Final Project | 30% |
| Participation | 10% |
Course Calendar
Please note that there was no lab corresponding to lectures 1, 12, 14, and 15.
| SES # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course Introduction; Overview of Neurotechnology | |
| 2 |
Guest lecturers: Prof. Elly Nedivi, Prof. Peter So | |
| Lab 2 |
Advanced Microscopy Imaging Guest Lecturer: Kalen Berry, Elijah Yew | |
| 3 |
High-density Electrophysiology Guest lecturer: Prof. Matt Wilson | Quiz 1 |
| Lab 3 |
Digital Electrophysiology Guest Lecturer: Jon Newman | |
| 4 |
Microfluidics and Cell Engineering Guest Lecturers: Prof. Roger Kamm & Sebastien Uzel | Quiz 2 |
| Lab 4 | Microfluidics and Cell Engineering (cont.) | |
| 5 |
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Daniel Berger | Quiz 3 |
| Lab 5 |
EM-based Connectomics (cont.) Field Trip: Lichtman lab at Harvard | |
| 6 | Optogenetics | Quiz 4 Homework 1 due |
| Lab 6a | Optogenetics (cont.) | |
| Lab 6b | Auto Patch Clamping | |
| 7 & Lab |
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Ian Wickersham | Quiz 5 |
| 8 |
Guest Lecturer: Prof. Dimitrios Pantazis | Quiz 6 |
| Lab 8 | MEG (cont.) | |
| 9 |
Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Guest Lecturer: Dr. Atsushi Takahashi | Quiz 7 |
| Lab 9 | Structural MRI | |
| 10 |
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Atsushi Takahashi | Homework 2 due |
| Lab 10 | Functional and Molecular MRI (cont.) | |
| 11 |
High Throughput Neuroscience Guest Lecturer: Dr. Limor Freifeld | Quiz 8 |
| Lab 11 | High Throughput Neuroscience Yanik Lab | |
| 12 | Discussion of Final Project Guidelines | |
| 13 |
Guest Lecturer: Prof. Kwanghun Chung | Quiz 9 Homework 3 due |
| Lab 13 | CLARITY | |
| 14 | Final Presentations I | |
| 15 | Final Presentations II | Final project due |