The proceedings of OPTOGEN2017 will be published on a special Research Topic in Frontiers in Neuroscience, titled "Optical Neural Interfaces" (visit dedicated website HERE)

General Aim of the Optical Neural Interfaces Rearch Topic:

The possibility to optically interface with neural circuits is enabling dynamic pictures of the brain in action, moving an important step toward the goal of understanding, monitoring and manipulating neural activity with high spatial and temporal resolution in vivo and on a large number of neurons. This new paradigm for the investigation of functional connectivity has been well consolidated in the last decade, and the development of new molecular tools to optically trigger and monitor neural activity has been accompanied by a new generation of hardware devices to improve optical neural interfaces. Progress in this field has seen recent breakthrough approaches to interface with the brain tissue, including new generations of neural activity indicators and actuators, new devices to reach deep brain regions and new microscopy techniques. However, several challenges remain open in the field, and, for optical neural interfaces to reach their full potential, a strong synergy between physicists, engineers and neuroscientists is strongly needed.

We seek interdisciplinary contributions challenging existing molecular, genetic and hardware technologies to obtain optical access to brain tissue, including new findings and developments that can improve today's available optical neural interfaces for both neurophysiology and behavioral control.