Multiscale Computational Tools for Optogenetics
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Abstract
Optogenetics is a new tool in which light-sensitive ion channels ('opsins') are genetically inserted into cell membranes. This allows for the precise spatial and temporal optical stimulation of excitable cells such as neural ensembles, as well as modulation of signalling cascades, and has numerous applications which are only beginning to be explored. Apart from becoming a key technology for neuroscience and deconstruction of brain circuits, applications are rapidly emerging throughout biology: e.g. control of cardiac cells, sensing and monitoring cellular activities, optical control of cell signalling pathways, using light to destroy proteins and cells [1] etc. The field of optogenetics has the potential to be one of the most important new techniques for many years and it was declared the Method of the Year for 2010 by Nature Methods [2].
There are several families of opsins, each of which has unique temporal and spectral properties. There is a substantial effort to characterize opsins for each cell population, and a continual drive to improve their efficacy. While the effect of an opsin can be quantified at the level of individual cells (e.g. neurons), it currently remains practically impossible to experimentally test each opsin for each cell type or biological system of interest. This significantly limits the effectiveness of optogenetics as a biological tool.
The aim of this project is to develop multiscale computational tools for optogenetics. Firstly, we will develop a tool for characterizing opsins, allowing us to link from the underlying biophysical photocycle that defines kinetic model of opsins (molecular-complex scale). Consequently this will allow us to obtain a functional understanding of each opsin and hence guide not only opsin choice for a given system, but potentially also guide opsin development. Secondly, we will build software to transform the biophysical model into computational formats for use in commonly used neural simulation tools. This will be done at the levels of single cell/compartment and cell networks. This will allow the inclusion of realistic models of optogenetics in existing simulations, allowing the use of virtual opsins to identify the correct experimental opsin choice. Together, these tools will improve the use of optogenetics as an effective and refined tool, enabling its potential to transform the biological sciences.
There are several families of opsins, each of which has unique temporal and spectral properties. There is a substantial effort to characterize opsins for each cell population, and a continual drive to improve their efficacy. While the effect of an opsin can be quantified at the level of individual cells (e.g. neurons), it currently remains practically impossible to experimentally test each opsin for each cell type or biological system of interest. This significantly limits the effectiveness of optogenetics as a biological tool.
The aim of this project is to develop multiscale computational tools for optogenetics. Firstly, we will develop a tool for characterizing opsins, allowing us to link from the underlying biophysical photocycle that defines kinetic model of opsins (molecular-complex scale). Consequently this will allow us to obtain a functional understanding of each opsin and hence guide not only opsin choice for a given system, but potentially also guide opsin development. Secondly, we will build software to transform the biophysical model into computational formats for use in commonly used neural simulation tools. This will be done at the levels of single cell/compartment and cell networks. This will allow the inclusion of realistic models of optogenetics in existing simulations, allowing the use of virtual opsins to identify the correct experimental opsin choice. Together, these tools will improve the use of optogenetics as an effective and refined tool, enabling its potential to transform the biological sciences.
Technical Summary
This project will deliver three software packages:
1. Software that when given current and voltage traces of system, will generate kinetic state-model.
2. Software modules for implementation of opsins in NEURON platform.
3. Software module for description of opsin in a point neuron scheme implemented in NEST.
Methodology:
1. Modelling of opsin kinetics. The dynamics of the ChR2 photocurrents can be accurately reproduced using a four-state kinetic model. We plan to expand this approach to all other opsins and describe their photocycles with an N-state functional model. The dynamics of this process can be described with a set of linear, non-stationary rate equations.
2. Modelling of opsin currents. Hodgkin-Huxley paradigm of neuronal simulation will be used. The photocurrent will be expressed as a function of light intensity (L), time (t) and membrane voltage (V).
3. Characterisation of opsin kinetics. On the bases of the input illumination parameters and the measured photocurrent traces in the voltage clamp arrangement a set of values for the transition rate coefficients will be established through curve fitting and optimization process. For the points 1-3 we will use MATLAB.
4. NEURON platform implementation. Each opsin model will be implemented in NEURON via a new mechanism called opsin.mod. The concrete mechanism of implementation will be as a POINT PROCESS module with an ELECTRODE CURRENT. The rate equation scheme that describes opsin's photocycle has a very simple description in the KINETIC block of NEURON.
5. NEST platform implementation. For network level suites, the so-called point neuron models will be considered and appropriate simplified model version of opsins will be developed which will be compatible with NEST platform first.
6. Validation. The proposed software tools will be tested and validated using the experimental results for ChR2 and ArchT from experiments to be conducted at the Simon Schultz lab (Co-I).
1. Software that when given current and voltage traces of system, will generate kinetic state-model.
2. Software modules for implementation of opsins in NEURON platform.
3. Software module for description of opsin in a point neuron scheme implemented in NEST.
Methodology:
1. Modelling of opsin kinetics. The dynamics of the ChR2 photocurrents can be accurately reproduced using a four-state kinetic model. We plan to expand this approach to all other opsins and describe their photocycles with an N-state functional model. The dynamics of this process can be described with a set of linear, non-stationary rate equations.
2. Modelling of opsin currents. Hodgkin-Huxley paradigm of neuronal simulation will be used. The photocurrent will be expressed as a function of light intensity (L), time (t) and membrane voltage (V).
3. Characterisation of opsin kinetics. On the bases of the input illumination parameters and the measured photocurrent traces in the voltage clamp arrangement a set of values for the transition rate coefficients will be established through curve fitting and optimization process. For the points 1-3 we will use MATLAB.
4. NEURON platform implementation. Each opsin model will be implemented in NEURON via a new mechanism called opsin.mod. The concrete mechanism of implementation will be as a POINT PROCESS module with an ELECTRODE CURRENT. The rate equation scheme that describes opsin's photocycle has a very simple description in the KINETIC block of NEURON.
5. NEST platform implementation. For network level suites, the so-called point neuron models will be considered and appropriate simplified model version of opsins will be developed which will be compatible with NEST platform first.
6. Validation. The proposed software tools will be tested and validated using the experimental results for ChR2 and ArchT from experiments to be conducted at the Simon Schultz lab (Co-I).
Planned Impact
The first circle of beneficiaries will be the project participants and other colleagues at Imperial working in the area of optogenetics, neurosciences and traumatic brain injury. At the moment we collaborate within a Network of Excellence funded by the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund. Specifically this network was built around the theme of optogenetic manipulation of injured neural circuits and apart from the PI and Co-I of this project participants are Prof William Wisden (Life Sciences), Dr Vicenzo De Paola (Medicine) and Dr Daniel Sharp (Medicine).
The proposed computational tools will have an immediate impact on the academic community engaged in the development and applications of optogenetics. There are more than a hundred groups around the world which currently use optogenetics in their research. The specific beneficiaries and how they will benefit are listed in the Academic beneficiaries section.
There will also be a strong impact on the careers of the researchers involved as well as for the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Imperial College in further developing, strengthening and consolidating its position in the optogenetics area with particular emphasis on computational modelling and neurotechnology applications, such as retinal prosthesis. This project has the potential to significantly support the development of a new generation of retinal implants, which is of strategic importance to us. The long term impact is the potential to enhance quality of life and health of blind people. Recently several groups (including us) have started to investigate the idea of using optogenetics for a retinal prosthesis by targeted expression of ChR2 in retinal ganglion cells or NpHR in photoreceptors (somas often remain functional although the outer segment degenerates causing blindness). In order to create a complete system we need to engineer an illumination system and for that purpose it is instrumental to have some simulation tool to calculate the light pulses' duration and intensity. We have two patent applications regarding such a system and in both cases the system design relies on computational optogenetics.
Optical neural stimulation pushes the boundaries of fusing engineering with biology and the results will be groundbreaking, potentially finally bringing implantable stimulation into mainstream medicine. This will offer a breakthrough in the treatment of serious medical conditions affecting a significant number of people globally, such as treatment-resistant epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, severe obesity and clinical depression, which are considered to be practically incurable today. We note here that this would be a long term goal since optogenetics relies on the gene technology which is still not developed for human subject in the case of microbial opsins. Anyway our research and developed tools could have significant impact in the area of neural prostheses, so the targeted long term beneficiaries will be disabled people, in particular those who suffer from deafness, blindness, or balancing problems, as well as the people with severe types of depression or Parkinson's disease.
To ensure that the potential beneficiaries have the opportunity to benefit from this research we will: (a) make the developed computational tools publicly available (NEURON DB and our web site), (b) publish the results and present at conferences, and communicate with our external collaborators specified in the track record, (c) make contacts with leading neural prosthesis design and manufacturing firms, to discuss the potential use of the techniques (more in the pathways to Impact document).
The proposed computational tools will have an immediate impact on the academic community engaged in the development and applications of optogenetics. There are more than a hundred groups around the world which currently use optogenetics in their research. The specific beneficiaries and how they will benefit are listed in the Academic beneficiaries section.
There will also be a strong impact on the careers of the researchers involved as well as for the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Imperial College in further developing, strengthening and consolidating its position in the optogenetics area with particular emphasis on computational modelling and neurotechnology applications, such as retinal prosthesis. This project has the potential to significantly support the development of a new generation of retinal implants, which is of strategic importance to us. The long term impact is the potential to enhance quality of life and health of blind people. Recently several groups (including us) have started to investigate the idea of using optogenetics for a retinal prosthesis by targeted expression of ChR2 in retinal ganglion cells or NpHR in photoreceptors (somas often remain functional although the outer segment degenerates causing blindness). In order to create a complete system we need to engineer an illumination system and for that purpose it is instrumental to have some simulation tool to calculate the light pulses' duration and intensity. We have two patent applications regarding such a system and in both cases the system design relies on computational optogenetics.
Optical neural stimulation pushes the boundaries of fusing engineering with biology and the results will be groundbreaking, potentially finally bringing implantable stimulation into mainstream medicine. This will offer a breakthrough in the treatment of serious medical conditions affecting a significant number of people globally, such as treatment-resistant epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, severe obesity and clinical depression, which are considered to be practically incurable today. We note here that this would be a long term goal since optogenetics relies on the gene technology which is still not developed for human subject in the case of microbial opsins. Anyway our research and developed tools could have significant impact in the area of neural prostheses, so the targeted long term beneficiaries will be disabled people, in particular those who suffer from deafness, blindness, or balancing problems, as well as the people with severe types of depression or Parkinson's disease.
To ensure that the potential beneficiaries have the opportunity to benefit from this research we will: (a) make the developed computational tools publicly available (NEURON DB and our web site), (b) publish the results and present at conferences, and communicate with our external collaborators specified in the track record, (c) make contacts with leading neural prosthesis design and manufacturing firms, to discuss the potential use of the techniques (more in the pathways to Impact document).
Organisations
Publications
Schultz SR
(2017)
Advances in two photon scanning and scanless microscopy technologies for functional neural circuit imaging.
in Proceedings of the IEEE. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Cavallo FR
(2021)
Aptasensor for Quantification of Leptin Through PCR Amplification of Short DNA-Aptamers.
in ACS sensors
Markar SR
(2018)
Assessment of a Noninvasive Exhaled Breath Test for the Diagnosis of Oesophagogastric Cancer.
in JAMA oncology
Schultz S
(2019)
Computational neuroscience meets optogenetics: Unlocking the brain's secrets
in Research Features
Rapeaux A
(2015)
Fiber size-selective stimulation using action potential filtering for a peripheral nerve interface: A simulation study.
in Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference
Luo JW
(2019)
Modelling Optogenetic Subthreshold Effects.
in Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference
Description | Optogenetics is a new and rapidly expanding technology for bio-medical sciences which uses genetic technology to express "opsins" in cell membranes, rendering these cells light-sensitive and to use light to modulate their activity. This technology has become a key tool for understanding the function of neural circuits and controlling their behaviour due to its specificity in targeting particular neurons for very precise time periods in a reversible way. To make the technique more effective, variations of natural "wild-type" opsins are continually being developed (through modifying their genetic code) in order to find mutants with, for example, stronger or faster effects on the cells. Due to the time-consuming and difficult nature of experimentally characterising these opsins, their growing numbers increase the need for a way to more quickly and systematically understand their properties. In this project we have developed multi-scale computational tools for optogenetics to address this need. They are presented in an open source integrated software suite called PyRhO, available online via the project's web-site and version-controlled in the project's GitHub repository (https://github.com/ProjectPyRhO/PyRhO). PyRhO can be used to: (i) characterise new (and existing) opsins by automatically fitting a minimal set of experimental data to three, four or six-state kinetic models, (ii) simulate these models at the channel, neuron & network levels and (iii) provide functional insights through model selection and virtual experiments in silico. The module is written in Python with an additional IPython/Jupyter notebook based GUI, allowing models to be fit, simulations to be run and results to be shared through simply interacting with a webpage. The model fitting algorithms are seamlessly integrated with simulation environments including NEURON and Brian2, allowing optogeneticists to parameterise their new opsins from experimental data and then test its behaviour in a detailed cellular or network model within the same environment. In this way we hope that PyRhO will reduce the number of necessary experimental procedures and rapidly unlock more of the potential of optogenetics. |
Exploitation Route | Computational tools for opotgenetics have been long sought after for gaining better insights, predicting behaviour of excitable cells and neural circuits, designing experiments and engineering new types of opsins. By creating this virtual optogenetics laboratory we enable neuroscientists to gain a comprehensive understanding of the opsins' behaviour and rapidly identify the most suitable variant for application in a particular biological system. This process may thereby guide not only experimental design and opsin choice but also alterations of the opsin genetic code in a neuro-engineering feed-back loop. In this way, we expect PyRhO will help to significantly advance optogenetics as a tool for transforming biological sciences. The GUI will be particularly useful to this end, as this brings simple and intuitive integration with widely used neuroscience simulation environments. In the next phase we plan to develop a portal where all these software packages will be installed and ready to use by the optogenetics community for both educational and research purposes. In this way we hope to open a new era of modelling and computational simulations through "Modelling as a service", for testing ideas and gaining insights into the vast amount of experimental data generated in neuroscience and facilitating collaboration and reproducibility. In 2017 our Cloud Computing Neuroscience Optogenetics Portal named Prometheus has become fully operational. It is hosted by Digital Ocean, a could computing platform of virtual servers, where we are renting a 2 Core processor, 2GB of RAM and 40GB SSD Disc (for $20 per month), see: try.projectpyrho.org . Now we offer PyRhO on a web-site, with all installations and modules already in place so that user can immediately start benefiting from it. All free of charge and no need for registration. This has significantly increased the impact of the created simulation platform. Furthermore, it offers a unique portal for running virtual experiments in neuroscience and physiology of excitable cells in general (even without inclusion of opsins) because it includes the two most popular platforms for detailed neural simulation (NEURON) and neural network simulations (Brian). Users do not need any more to download and install all these very useful but still technically demanding simulation softwares and to undergo frequent frustration and failure. And very importantly, with our GUI which offers simple setup of the ion-channels and cell parameters as well as stimulation protocols together with output visualization it is a great tool for both educational and research purposes. This portal has abundant capacity for expansion (building a database of opsins, cell types, neural networks, etc.) and could become a web-site of choice for many neuroscientist and students. |
Sectors | Education Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
URL | http://www.imperial.ac.uk/bio-modelling/pyrho/ |
Description | A) Participated at the Festival on "From Brain hacking to digital implant", Science Museum (London, Mar/2015, 3 days). We demonstrated Retinal Prosthesis concept based on optogenetics and neuromorphic hardware. The Festival was a great success, attended by schools and general public. A number of visitors attended our demos and asked questions and learned for the first time about optogenetics and numerous applications of this technology. At the same event we gave interviews to: 1. BBC technology correspondent Rory Cetlan Jones for BBC World Service 2. Discovery Channel 3. Science Museum Podcast B) "PyRhO: Optogenetics Virtual Laboratory - Creation of a Web Server Portal", Imperial-BBSRC Impact Acceleration grant. In order to use the tools each user has to go through an installation process, which might prove inconvenient for some, particularly experimental neuroscientists. To ameliorate such difficulties, we have developed Prometheus - a web-based portal for PyRhO, with all necessary modules and dependencies already installed and configured so that user can immediately start benefiting from it. We have installed all software needed for our tools (including the Python programming language, commonly used scientific Python libraries, NEURON and Brian2 simulation platforms) and added our GUI. The portal is available here: http://try.projectpyrho.org/. We have configured the portal using the Digital Ocean hosting/Cloud computing service provider and rented a virtual server with 2GB Memory, 2 Core-processor and 40GB SSD. The servers are located at the DigitalOcean data centre in London, UK (LON1 - Ubuntu 16.04 x64). The portal is using IPython/Jupyter notebook for accessing the GUI via any web browser. We launched the site on 01/Sep/2016 and since then we had 993 unique users from 61 countries, according to Google Analytics. The geographical spread was impressive, the portal has been used in many South American and Asian countries and several African. |
First Year Of Impact | 2015 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | "iHuman - blurring lines between mind and machine", The Royal Society Perspective |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | The Royal Society Neural Interface Perspective |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | BBSRC Impact Acceleration Account - Imperial College London 2015-16 |
Amount | £9,520 (GBP) |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2016 |
End | 04/2016 |
Description | EPSRC Platform Grant |
Amount | £692,737 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/N002474/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2015 |
End | 07/2020 |
Description | EPSRC-Imperial Impact Acceleration Award: 'Multi-Modal Intelligent Neuromodulator - IP Consolidation and Early stage Commercialisation |
Amount | £15,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/R511547/1, award no. RSRO_P69465 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2019 |
End | 02/2020 |
Description | MAARS - Multimodal Active Adaptive risk stratification for gastrointestinal cancer |
Amount | £230,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Cancer Research UK |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2022 |
End | 10/2023 |
Description | Organisation for Computational Neuroscience - Conference Travel Award |
Amount | $400 (USD) |
Organisation | Organisation for Computational Neuroscience (OCNS) |
Sector | Private |
Country | United States |
Start | 06/2015 |
End | 07/2015 |
Title | Multiscale Computational Tools for Optogenetics |
Description | This is an integrated suite of open-source tools written in Python for parameterising and simulating (rhod)opsins. It provides convenient data structures and routines for fitting kinetic models of opsin dynamics to experimental photocurrents in addition to "ready-made" models of popular opsins. These models may then be simulated in a variety of common stimulation protocols from the individual channel level to whole networks of transfected spiking neurons. It also comes with a Jupyter notebook based Graphical User Interface (GUI) making it intuitive and easy to use with minimal programming experience. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Models released in end of February 2016 |
URL | http://www.imperial.ac.uk/bio-modelling/pyrho/ |
Title | Prometheus: Modelling as a Service! |
Description | Prometheus is a web portal for modelling and simulating rhodopsins and computational neurscience in geral. It's a temporary way to try out PyRhO (computational tools for optogenetics) in an IPython/Jupyter notebook with absolutely no installation or set-up required. Currently supports Python, NEURON and Brian2 applications. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | This is an open-access, cloud computing platform and currently we are monitoring the usage. |
URL | http://try.projectpyrho.org/user/2UfWHWP4LkTO/notebooks/Prometheus.ipynb |
Title | Prometheus: Neuroscience Cloud Computing Portal |
Description | Cloud Computing Neuroscience Optogenetics Portal named Prometheus. It is hosted by Digital Ocean, a cloud computing platform of virtual servers, where we are renting a 2 Core processor, 2GB of RAM and 40GB SSD Disc (for $20 per month). Most of the tools offered are developed as PyRhO project and now they are available on a web-site, with all installations and modules already in place so that user can immediately start benefiting from it. All free of charge and no need for registration. Furthermore, it offers a unique portal for running virtual experiments in neuroscience and physiology of excitable cells in general (even without inclusion of opsins) because it includes the two most popular platforms for detailed neural simulation (NEURON) and neural network simulations (Brian). Users do not need any more to download and install all these very useful but still technically demanding simulation softwares and to undergo frequent frustration and failure. And very importantly, with our GUI which offers simple setup of the ion-channels and cell parameters as well as stimulation protocols together with output visualization it is a great tool for both educational and research purposes. This portal has abundant capacity for expansion (building a database of opsins, cell types, neural networks, etc.) and could become a web-site of choice for many neuroscientist and students. |
Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | The web-site access and use analytics reports suggest a world wide use of this cloud based computing platform. |
URL | http://try.projectpyrho.org |
Title | PyRhO - A Virtual Optogenetics Laboratory |
Description | A Python module to fit and characterise rhodopsin photocurrents Optogenetics has become a key tool for understanding the function of neural circuits and controlling their behaviour. An array of directly light driven opsins have been genetically isolated from several families of organisms, with a wide range of temporal and spectral properties. In order to characterize, understand and apply these rhodopsins, we developed an integrated suite of open-source, multi-scale computational tools called PyRhO. The purpose of developing PyRhO is threefold: 1. to characterize new (and existing) rhodopsins by automatically fitting a minimal set of experimental data to three, four or six-state kinetic models, 2. to simulate these models at the channel, neuron & network levels and 3. provide functional insights through model selection and virtual experiments in silico. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | The software has been released 19/Feb/2016. |
URL | https://github.com/ProjectPyRhO/PyRhO |
Description | Article for Research Features Magazine |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Article: S. Schultz and K. Nikolic: "Computational neuroscience meets optogenetics: Unlocking the brain's secrets", Research Features Magazine, issue 131, pp.88-91, Jan 2019 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | http://researchfeatures.com/reviews/research-features-magazine/ |
Description | Grand Round - lecture at St Mary's Hospital |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Title of the talk: 'Neural engineering for appetite control and other technology developments at Centre for Bio-Inspired Technology'. Lecture at the Cockburn Lecture Theatre, 2nd floor QEQM Building, St Mary's Hospital, atteded by clinical and non-clinical personel from the Section of Hepatology and Gastroenterology. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Grant proposal reviewer for the Einstein Foundation Berlin |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Supporters |
Results and Impact | Reviewer for a proposal on the topic of optogenetics, submitted the Einstein Foundation Berlin, Germany. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.einsteinfoundation.de/en/ |
Description | Imperial-Westminster Science Talks |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | An outreach programme organised with the Westminster School London. Dr Nikolic is helping the school to organise these talks - three science talks every year. It is very much a series of talks that aims to appeal to A level science students across London, but particularly those at schools with which Westminster School has established a summer school link (mainly in Lambeth and Southwark area). The topic of the talk from any type of scientific research and technology applications. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2015,2016 |
Description | Interview for BBC News (6 o'clock news and news at 10), on neurotechnology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview to Fergus Walsh, the BBC medical correspondent, for BBC News at 10 and 6 o'clock news, on the topic of Brain-Computer interface. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Interviewed by New Scientist about news related to human clinical trials related to optogenetics |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interviewed over the phone by Clair Wilson, from New Scientist, regarding the announcement by GenSight Biologics of their clinical trials that involve 12 people in the UK who are about to have an optogenetic treatment for retinitis pigmentosa: "Blindness treatment will insert algae gene into people's eyes". |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.newscientist.com/article/2158645-blindness-treatment-will-insert-algae-gene-into-peoples... |
Description | PyRhO web page |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Web site containing multiscale computational tools for optogenetics (PyRhO): Overview & Installation, User Guide, Github, Twitter, Portal |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |
URL | http://www.imperial.ac.uk/bio-modelling/pyrho/ |
Description | Science Museum (London) exhibition and demo |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | You Have Been Upgraded: a festival of human enhancement at the Science Museum. We presented our optogenetic type of Retinal Prosthesis. The exhibiton opened at the Science Museum's Lates evening on Wednesday 25 March and continues on Friday 27 (for schools) Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March 2015. Exceptionaly well received presentation and demos, created quite a lot of interest and questions. Interviewed by (25/March/2015): 1. BBC technology correspondent Rory Cetlan Jones for BBC World Service 2. Discovery Channel 3. Science Museum Podcast |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/plan_your_visit/events/festivals/you-have-been-upgraded |
Description | Society for Neuroscience 2017 conference poster presentation - K Nikolic |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | SfN meetings gather thousands of neuroscientists from around the world to debut cutting-edge research on the brain and nervous system. My poster presentation was titled: "Prometheus: Computational Optogenetics using Cloud Computing", Benjamin Evans and Konstantin Nikolic. Poster was attended by approximately 20-30 visitors, a very fruitful discussion about computational optogenetics, with a number of computational neuroscientists, including the people working on NEURON platform. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Twitter account: #PyRhO |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A twitter account to broadcast news, conference and workshops presentations and new developments related to development of computational tools PyRhO. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |
Description | World Economic Forum - Sensor Transformation Map presented on Imperial College web site |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Many of the World Economic Forum maps such as Biotechnology, Blockchain, Banking and Capital markets, and Sensors were co-curated by leading Imperial academics. The maps are intended to be used to inform work across the Forum's System Initiatives as well as strategic decision-making by governments and businesses around the world. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_9-1-2018-13-43-25 |
Description | World Economic Forum - Sensors Transformation Map, Co-editor |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The World Economic Forum launched its Transformation Maps in 2017. Global transformation maps help explain Fourth Industrial Revolution and they also cover themes including Economies, Global Issues, Industries, System initiatives. The Sensors map was curated by Dr Konstantin Nikolic, from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Professor Christofer Toumazou, from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. They explain that new developments in sensor materials and uses have the potential to improve our lives in revolutionary ways."Smart sensors can sift through deluges of data in order to intelligently extract information. For example, a new generation of blood glucose sensors, used by diabetics, utilize data processing to connect with insulin pumps in a closed loop system, which in effect forms an artificial pancreas." |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://toplink.weforum.org/knowledge/insight/a1Gb0000001jJXlEAM/explore/summary |