How Dr. Llopis’ Lab Used the PhenoSys JetBall to Uncover the Neural Mechanics of Learning
Dr. Nuria Vendrell Llopis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham whose journey into neuroscience was anything but conventional. Starting with a background in telecommunication engineering, her path shifted dramatically after an “aha moment” with a professor discussing bioelectronics- one that led her to combine engineering with neuroscience to develop cutting-edge neurotechnologies aimed at decoding the brain.
Her research focuses on one of neuroscience’s fundamental questions:
How does the brain learn from experience? How do neural circuits adapt and evolve when we acquire new skills or behaviors?
Pinpointing Dopamine’s Role in Learning
Dopamine, long known to play a role in learning, has proven difficult to study due to its broad, non-specific release- it activates numerous cells and circuits across the brain simultaneously. This ubiquity makes it hard to pinpoint its exact function. Additionally, in naturally behaving animals, the simultaneous activity of millions of neurons complicates efforts to link specific neural patterns to behavior or learning.
To clarify dopamine’s precise effects, Dr. Llopis sought a highly controlled experiment- one that could selectively activate specific dopamine receptors in targeted cell types within a defined brain region, enabling a clear cause-and-effect analysis.
A New Level of Experimental Control
To tackle this challenge, Dr. Llopis and her team designed a novel approach. They used neural interfaces to precisely control small groups of neurons, guiding them to perform specific behaviors. Rather than using a traditional reward like food, they activated dopamine receptors directly using light-sensitive photoswitches.
This allowed them to dissect neural circuits at an unprecedented level and demonstrate how particular experiences reinforce specific patterns of brain activity—laying new groundwork for understanding reinforcement learning.
The Role of PhenoSys JetBall
The challenge with in vivo (live animal) imaging, like calcium imaging, is managing motion artifacts when animals are restrained under a microscope- a lot of distortion. Dr. Llopis’ had a different idea- that if the animal could move and be “entertained somehow” by running freely on the ball and is not uncomfortable, it would struggle less, leading to less motion distortion in the images.
After seeing PhenoSys demos online and connecting with the team at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeting, she realized the JetBall was the perfect solution.
‘It was way better than having to design and create everything from scratch in the lab- saving us significant time and efforts.’
The JetBall allowed mice to move freely in a virtual environment while remaining head-fixed for imaging. This drastically reduced motion artifacts and stress, and enabled clear, reliable data collection. It also provided precise motion tracking—vital for proving that observed neural activity was truly linked to learning, not just physical movement.
“The animal could be as freely behaving as he could, even though he was restrained under the microscope.”
Impact and Future Horizons
This experiment became a powerful “proof of concept- showing that small, well-defined components of the brain can be controlled and studied in isolation. This opens significant doors for future research:
- Deeper insights into learning: Researchers can now explore different dopamine receptors and neuron types.
- Neurological Disorders: It opens doors to study how disorders like Parkinson’s affect learning at the cellular level.
- Advancing Neuroprosthetics: By decoding brain signals more precisely, the research lays the groundwork for smarter, more intuitive brain-machine interfaces.
A Partner in Discovery: PhenoSys Support and Reliability
“The support has been very good, consistent and prompt. The team has been very patient with the students despite frequent queries. When we needed a part replacement, it was delivered within a couple of days.”
Looking ahead
Dr. Llopis dreams of further integrating virtual reality environment with neural interfaces, envisioning a future where animals could run through a maze simply by the activity of a small group of neurons in their brain.