Neuro Engineering
Research goal
Our goal is to develop advanced silicon neural probes that can be implanted into the brain to collect information on electrical and chemical neural activity, as well as to manipulate it with optical stimulation. The approach involves development of novel methods of nanofabrication, nanofluidics, and nanophotonics.
One of the major projects is the development of a nanodialysis chemical neural probe. Cell-to-cell signaling via neurochemicals is the fundamental basis for communication in the brain. The detection of neurochemical spatial and temporal concentration transients in the brain is an essential and unmet capability for understanding the functionality of neural circuits and for the development of novel drugs for treatment of various disorders. The goal of this project is to break the fundamental limits of chemical detection to achieve unprecedented chemical, temporal and spatial resolution with minimal tissue damage.
Recent publications
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Neuropeptides in the Extracellular Space of the Mouse Cortex Measured by Nanodialysis Probe Coupled with LC-MS, ​​​Keyin Li, Weihua Shi, Yanqi Tan, Yu Ding, Alex G. Armstrong, Yurii Vlasov*, Jonathan Sweedler*, ChemRxiv 2025
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Highly localized chemical sampling at sub-second temporal resolution enabled with a silicon nanodialysis platform at nanoliter per minute flows, I Park, S Kim, C Brenden, W Shi, H Iyer, R Bashir, Y Vlasov, ACS Nano, 2024
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Ultra-high numerical aperture waveguide-integrated meta beam shaper, Hrishikesh Iyer, Yurii Vlasov, Optica, 2024
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Enhancement of faradaic current in an electrochemical cell integrated into silicon microfluidic channels, CK Brenden, H Iyer, Y Zhang, S Kim, W Shi, YA Vlasov, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2023
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Integrated silicon microfluidic chip for picoliter-scale analyte segmentation and microscale printing for mass spectrometry imaging, W Shi, S Bell, H Iyer, CK Brenden, Y Zhang, S Kim, I Park, R Bashir, J. Sweedler, Y. Vlasov, Lab on a Chip , 2023
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Attomole-Level Multiplexed Detection of Neurochemicals in Picoliter Droplets by On-Chip Nanoelectrospray Ionization Coupled to Mass Spectrometry, Y Zhang, K Li, Y Zhao, W Shi, H Iyer, S Kim, C Brenden, JV Sweedler, Y.Vlasov, Analytical Chemistry , 2022
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Droplet-assisted electrospray phase separation using an integrated silicon microfluidic platform, Y Zhang, S Kim, W Shi, Y Zhao, I Park, C Brenden, H Iyer, P Jha, R Bashir, Y.Vlasov, Lab on a Chip 2022
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Picoliter Droplet Generation for Fast Monitoring the Brain Chemistry with Scaled Silicon Nanodyalisis Probe, Yan Zhang, Ari Esters, Oscar Bi, Yurii Vlasov, Transducers & Eurosensors, 2019
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