Leading Research Institutes and Charitable Foundations Contract with imec for the Development of Powerful Next-Generation Tools for Neuroscience Research

Leuven (Belgium), November 7, 2013 – Nanoelectronics research center imec announced today that the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and University College London (UCL) have committed 4.2 million Euro ($5.5 million) in R&D collaboration contracting with imec to develop and manufacture a state-of-the-art sensor array for recording neural activity in animal brains.

The proposed sensor array will advance current neural probe technology used to detect extracellular electrical activity in the brain. The innovative solution will incorporate recording electrodes at a much higher density and provide an order of magnitude better performance than existing technology, allowing researchers to record brain activity with unprecedented combination of resolution and ability to record from a very large number of sites. The sensor arrays under development have the potential to enable transformational neurobiology experiments and contribute to a fundamentally improved understanding of how neurons in the brain work together to process information and control behavior. We expect these devices, two years in the planning, will have a direct impact in advancing brain research across a broad front, including the BRAIN Initiative, as advocated by U.S. President Barack Obama in his speech on April 2, 2013. These new probes will address the basic understanding of brain function, such as how sensory information, visual images in the eye or whisker touches, flows into and between brain regions, and is processed by the cortex.

“We continually strive to bring value to HHMI and the other leading institutes by customizing state-of-the-art semiconductor technology through our dedicated and experienced semiconductor development teams,” stated Peter Peumans, director bionanoelectronics at imec. “This research partnership will enable imec to provide the most advanced neural probe technology to academia and research institutes, enabling the acquisition of signals from whole brain regions rather than small samples of those regions.”

Engineers at imec will work closely with scientists at HHMI, the Allen Institute and UCL (with grant funding from Gatsby and Wellcome) to design, develop and test the new probes. Over the course of the 38-month project, imec will leverage its state-of-the-art silicon design and processing capabilities to develop and test the new tool, and produce a version that can be manufactured and made available to the scientific research community. The devices are expected to become widely available in late 2016.

“We’re launching this project because current methods for studying brain activity are inadequate,” said Tim Harris, director of the Applied Physics and Instrumentation Group at HHMI’s Janelia Farm Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia. “We are committed to creating better tools that will enable us to collect better quality data and reduce the number of animals that are needed for this essential research.”

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a science philanthropy whose mission is to advance biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity. We empower exceptional scientists and students to pursue fundamental questions about living systems. Headquartered in Chevy Chase, MD, HHMI employs more than 3,000 individuals across the United States. In fiscal year 2012, HHMI invested $695 million in U.S. research and provided $78 million in grant and other support for science education.

The Allen Institute for Brain Science is an independent nonprofit medical research organization. Launched in 2003 with a seed contribution from founder and philanthropist Paul G. Allen, the Allen Institute takes on large-scale initiatives designed to push brain research forward, enabling the global scientific community to more efficiently make discoveries that bring real-world utility.

The Gatsby Charitable Foundation was set up by David Sainsbury to realise his charitable objectives. We focus our support on a limited number of areas:

Plant science research
Neuroscience research
Science and engineering education
Economic development in Africa
Public policy research and advice
The arts

We are proactive in devising projects to achieve our aims. We are enthusiastic about supporting innovation. We are analytical as we believe it is important to understand the opportunities and problems we tackle. We take a long-term view as we do not think much can be achieved by short, one-off projects. We are always eager to form partnerships with organisations who share our goals

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests.
www.wellcome.ac.uk

University College London was established in 1826 and has a reputation for academic excellence in both teaching and research. It has major strengths in Biomedical research including the largest grouping of neuroscience laboratories in the UK.

Imec performs world-leading research in nanoelectronics. Imec leverages its scientific knowledge with the innovative power of its global partnerships in ICT, healthcare and energy. Imec delivers industry-relevant technology solutions. In a unique high-tech environment, its international top talent is committed to providing the building blocks for a better life in a sustainable society. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, US, China, India and Japan. Its staff of more than 2,000 people includes more than 650 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2012, imec’s revenue (P&L) totaled 320 million euro. Further information on imec can be found at www.imec.be.

Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a “stichting van openbaar nut”), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government), imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.) and imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shangai) Co. Ltd.) and imec India (Imec India Private Limited).