Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Although the eyes detect light, it is the brain that does most of the work that allows us to see the world around us. Millions of brain cells, also called neurons, work together to analyze the visual scene that is projected onto the back of the eye. Using precision electronics it is possible to monitor the activity of single neurons in the brain in response to precisely controlled visual stimuli. The present proposal requests funding for equipment that will be used to set up an electrophysiological recording facility. This recording laboratory consists of life support, surgery, electrode manufacture and signal acquisition packages. I will use the equipment to record the extracellular activity of individual neurons in the cat primary visual cortex in response to computer generated visual stimuli. These recordings will provide significant insights into information processing in the early visual cortex. This equipment will help my laboratory attain an international level of sophistication, and provide a rich learning environment for trainee neuroscientists.