Chromatic bioluminescence as a cellular level readout system of neural activity

• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.05.2021

Provided is a method of detecting neural activity, including inducing neurons of a subject to express two or more polypeptides each comprising an amino acid sequence represented by one of SEQ ID NOs:13-24, wherein inducing comprises stimulating interneuronally different relative levels of expression of the two or more polypeptides; applying coelenterazine to the subject; applying a first stimulation of neural activity to the subject; detecting a first spatiotemporal and spectral pattern of electromagnetic radiation emitted by neurons of the subject in response to the first stimulation; recording the first spatiotemporal and spectral pattern of electromagnetic radiation in a computer memory; applying a second stimulation of neural activity to the subject; detecting a second spatiotemporal and spectral pattern of electromagnetic radiation emitted by neurons of the subject in response to the second stimulation; comparing the second spatiotemporal and spectral pattern of electromagnetic radiation to the first spatiotemporal and spectral pattern of electromagnetic radiation, wherein differences between the second spatiotemporal and spectral pattern of electromagnetic radiation and the first spatiotemporal and spectral pattern of electromagnetic radiation indicate differences in neural activity caused by the first stimulation and the second stimulation.