title: Optogenetics in Silicon: A Neural Processor for Predicting Optically Active Neural Networks.
abstract: We present a reconfigurable neural processor for real-time simulation and prediction of opto-neural behaviour. We combined a detailed Hodgkin-Huxley CA3 neuron integrated with a four-state Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) model into reconfigurable silicon hardware. Our architecture consists of a Field Programmable Gated Array (FPGA) with a custom-built computing data-path, a separate data management system and a memory approach based router. Advancements over previous work include the incorporation of short and long-term calcium and light-dependent ion channels in reconfigurable hardware. Also, the developed processor is computationally efficient, requiring only 0.03 ms processing time per sub-frame for a single neuron and 9.7 ms for a fully connected network of 500 neurons with a given FPGA frequency of 56.7 MHz. It can therefore be utilized for exploration of closed loop processing and tuning of biologically realistic optogenetic circuitry.
authors.lastname: Junwen Luo
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nikolic
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.lastname: Na Dong
authors.lastname: Xiaohan Sun
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andras
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yakovlev
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Degenaar
mesh_terms: D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D062308:Optogenetics; D012825:Silicon
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D012825:Silicon