The Neuropixels Platform: Visualizing the Electrophysiological Rhythms of the Whole Brain

Abstract
Recent advances in CMOS integrated MEMS, has enabled and increased routine extracellular electrophysiology recording capability and capacity from dozens to thousands of neurons. Applying “a scaling platform approach”, the Neuropixels platforms, will enable next generation of systems to visualize 10’s to 100’s of thousand neurons.
I will review our work to develop very high channel count electrophysiology device: “the Neuropixels probe”, and the prospects for another 10-50X capacity increase, and address progress towards “recording form the whole brain”.
In addition, to the technology, I will illustrate a few transformational neuroscience experiments that this technology is enabling, and its power to co-integrate different modalities.
I will also discuss, some of the challenges the Neuropixels data volume has created, with  bottlenecks in analysis, using frequently used technique, aspiring to produce single neuron activity records, called spike sorting. I will compare different algorithms, show their frequent alarmingly divergent results, and discuss what fraction of this new data volume seems reliable.
I will discuss, initial work and the potential for single neuron based neuro-electronic medicine.
If time permits, I will also highlight how for a technology platform to impact and accelerate an inter-disciplinary science, of semiconductor engineers, neurotechnologists, neuroscientists, and neurosurgeons, you need the power of a global eco-system.
Furthermore, I will close by opening a discussion of the limits of electrophysiology recording, how many neurons are enough number of neurons?


Biography of Barun Dutta

Barun Dutta has been the Chief Scientist of IMEC, since 2010, leading multiple R&D programs in Silicon Technology Systems, with an emphasis on wafer scale manufacturable patterning  and process integration of novel materials and device technologies.  In additional pathfinding programs in CMOS scaling, he most recently initiated and has led device programs in GaN LED’s, Power/RF Devices, ultra-high performance imaging, integrated photonics, wafer scale technologies for life sciences applications in neurotech and genomics.
From 1998-2010 as a Venture Capitalist and General Partner at Sevin Rosen Funds-Alta Berkeley (A Sevin Rosen  Semiconductor Systems Incubation Fund) and Entrepreneur, he worked as a Board Member and/or CXO, incubating and mentoring 15 founding teams/companies, which included, Iobox(acquired by Telefonica), Synad(acquired by ST-Micro), Native Networks(acquired by Alcatel), Siliquent (acquired by Broadcom), BeInSync(acquired by Phoenix Tech), Teradici(acquired by HP), Castify(acquired by Harmonic), Xtellus(merged w/Oclaro), PA Semi(acquired by Apple), Touch Clarity(acquired by Omniture/Adobe), Amantsys(acquired by Fidelity), Javelin Semiconductor (acquired by Avago) and Dune Networks (acquired by Broadcom).
He spent the first decade of his career, from 1988-1998, as a Member of Technical Staff and Program manager at Bellcore/Bell Labs doing research in various areas of semiconductor materials and process technology and was also an assignee at IMEC from Bell Labs/TI.
He was educated and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees, from Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA respectively.