Neurotechnology Center
Anschutz Medical Campus
NTC Mission
The NeuroTechnology Center (NTC) at CU-Anschutz is a partnership between the University of Colorado School of Medicine and member Departments with significant interests in neuroscience research. The missions of the NTC are:
- To support core facilities that provide School of Medicine investigators access to key, cutting-edge technologies that are essential for neuroscience research at CU Anschutz.
- To work with School of Medicine departments to jointly recruit additional neuroscience-focused faculty to CU Anschutz who emphasize development and application of novel technologies, with a goal of building strong collaborative, cross-disciplinary research teams.
About the NTC
The overarching idea behind the NTC is that novel technologies have revolutionized how we study the nervous system, all the way from the molecular to the in vivo/systems level, and our core facilities and faculty should be at the cutting-edge of developing and implement novel technologies to advance our understanding of the nervous system and to develop new treatments for nervous system disorders.
The NTC also engages in educational and outreach activities by hosting/co-hosting and administering research seminars, retreats, and symposia in partnership with the Neuroscience Graduate Program, the Rocky Mountain Neuroscience Group, and the NSF-funded Rocky Wearable Microscopes Summit. In addition, the NTC is a sponsor of the Summer Research Training Program and a supporter of the NINDS-funded BRAiN summer research program that provide research internships on the campus for undergraduate students from groups historically underrepresented in science.
NTC Membership
NTC membership is defined at the Department level, with Departments joining the NTC by participating in joint recruitment of neurotechnology-focused faculty with the NTC. These NTC recruitments are envisioned as collaborative, interdisciplinary, and possibly interdepartmental; allowing recruitment of neurotechnology-focused researchers across disciplines. In return, researchers in NTC member Departments are eligible for discounted user fees for the NTC cores. Current NTC member Departments span multiple basic science and clinical disciplines.
NTC Cores
Meet the Director
Dr. Mark Dell’Acqua, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chair of Pharmacology
2021-2022 NTC Highlights
In 2022 the NTC consolidated a number of the operations for Optogenetics and Neural Engineering (ONE) Core and the Advanced Light Microscopy Core (ALMC), in the newly renovated space located on the northern 1st floor interior corridor of building RC1 North.
Advanced Light Microscopy (ALMC) Core Highlights
-Total usage of the core: 4461 hours-Total number of laboratories that have used the core: 90
-Number of new users of the core: 85
-Number of papers published that acknowledge usage of the core: 11
-New microscope purchased: STEDYCON by Abberior, arriving next fiscal year
-Submitted NIH S10 grant for new STED super-resolution microscope system
Optogenetics and Neural Engineering (ONE) Core Highlights
-Served 18 research laboratories working on ~40 projects.Project Highlights:
-Developed an automated system for objectively quantifying motor deficits in patients.
-Developed software to obtain timestamped recordings of multiple, hardware-independent videos for human subject and animal research behavior tasks.
-Engineered methods for synchronization of multiple concurrent behavioral tasks including data pipelines for defining unique timelines across all systems, utilizing commonly used communication systems.
-Designed and fabricated electronic circuits for generation of novel predefined analog signals for simultaneous optogenetic stimulation and electrophysiological recording.
Innovation and Design for Experimentation and Analysis (IDEA) Core Highlights
-Served 8 research laboratories.-Co-authored three peer-reviewed publications and one book chapter.
Project highlights:
-LocoMouse - Visual assessment and quantification of mouse ataxia
-RotoRodent - Quantifying optomotor response of mice and rats in the Animal Behavior Core
-Jump-Reach - Variable reach distance apparatus for head-fixed mice
-Vari-Reach - Real-time repositioning of target for head-fixed mouse reach
-Angular stereotax - Novel apparatus for positioning up to eight mouse brain probes
Neuroscience Machine Shop Highlights
-The shop serviced over 110 projects last year from 47 different departments.-These projects included new fabrication of research equipment like innovative hexagonal maze systems, maintenance of existing equipment, and repair projects for damaged equipment and animal enclosures.
Project highlights:
-Fabricated an intricate tungsten array for Radiation Oncology.
-Designed and fabricated two large acoustical isolation sound chambers.
-Produced a novel behavioral observation rig with probe commutators and cameras.
Animal Behavior Core (ABC) Highlights
-Helped research teams design, plan, and perform long-term and short-term behavioral studies.-Instituted new behavioral testing paradigms (Dynamic Weight Bearing, Gait Analysis, Home Cage Monitoring)
-Added Zebra Fish Behavior subcore in R2 vivarium
-Total number of laboratories that used the ABC: 25 (67% increase)
-School of Medicine departments/divisions served: 10
-4 published papers and 5 papers submitted to journals.
In Vivo Neurophysiology Core (IVNC) Highlights
-Continued to develop and sciatic nerve recording and analysis services.-Created custom made visual evoked potential stimulus control boxes and Python code for data analysis
-Continued to refine electrode placement verification service in collaboration with the ALMC
-Trained new PIs on mouse stereotaxic surgery and stereotaxic-guided injections
-Added new EEG recording data analysis service
-Total number of laboratories that used the IVNC: 9 (no change)
-School of Medicine departments/divisions served: 7 (17% increase)
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