ELEANOR: Studying the brain's complexity with light on a chip

Other / 11 Mar, 2025

The ELEANOR research project is set to begin this month, led by Richard van Wezel (Radboud University and Donders Institute) and Dr Imran Avci (VU). Funded by the Open Competition Domain Science-M grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the project aims to develop an innovative technology to study how human neurons process signals using light on a microchip.

The human brain is an incredibly complex system. Each neuron receives thousands of inputs from other neurons through synapses, but how these signals are integrated remains unknown. Traditional methods rely on electrical stimulation and recording, but this has limitations, such as noise and a lack of precision.

Photonic microchip

The ELEANOR project proposes an innovative solution: a photonic microchip that uses light instead of electricity. This microchip, developed in collaboration with Dr Imran Avci at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, features a network of submicron-sized optical fibres, allowing neurons to be grown directly on it. Using laser light and optogenetics, a technique that makes neurons responsive to light, scientists can stimulate extremely precise.

Read the full ELEANOR news article on the website of the Donders Institute.