Gut-Brain Computer Interfacing (GBCI) : Wearable Monitoring of Gastric Myoelectric Activity.

We propose a new area for wearable technology and interaction by acquiring gastrointestinal signals non-invasively from the abdomen. The mind-gut connection has flourished as a research area in the past two decades, elucidating the guts key role in stress, affect, and memory. Meanwhile, engineering advancements have shown potential in accuracy of non-invasive gastric recordings. Here, we investigate the design and specification of a wearable system for the recording of gut-brain activity non-invasively. We also present results from a preliminary pilot test of a wearable gut-brain computer interface (GBCI).

Dopamine signaling tunes spatial pattern selectivity in C. elegans.

Animals with complex brains can discriminate the spatial arrangement of physical features in the environment. It is unknown whether such sensitivity to spatial patterns can be accomplished in simpler nervous systems that lack long-range sensory modalities such as vision and hearing. Here we show that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can discriminate spatial patterns in its surroundings, despite having a nervous system of only 302 neurons. This spatial pattern selectivity requires touch-dependent dopamine signaling, including the mechanosensory TRP-4 channel in dopaminergic neurons and the D2-like dopamine receptor DOP-3. We find that spatial pattern selectivity varies significantly among C. elegans wild isolates. Electrophysiological recordings show that natural variations in TRP-4 reduce the mechanosensitivity of dopaminergic neurons. Polymorphic substitutions in either TRP-4 or DOP-3 alter the selectivity of spatial patterns. Together, these results demonstrate an ancestral role for dopamine signaling in tuning spatial pattern preferences in a simple nervous system.

A sorting strategy for C. elegans based on size-dependent motility and electrotaxis in a micro-structured channel.

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a model organism widely utilized in various fundamental studies in developmental, neural and behavioural biology. The worm features four distinct larval stages, and many research questions are stage-specific; therefore, it is necessary to sort worms by their developmental stages, which are typically represented by different size ranges. However, manually synchronizing large populations of worms is time-consuming and labour-intensive, and the commercially available automated sorter is massive and expensive. Realizing the need for a cost-effective and simple micro-platform for sorting, we report an inexpensive and novel method to accomplish this goal. The proposed micro-platform features hexagonally arrayed microstructures with geometric dimensions optimized for the maximum motility of the worms based on their sizes. In each of the optimized micro-structured platforms, only the worms with the targeted size swim continuously with the maximum undulation frequency. Additionally, the persistent and directed movement of the worms can be achieved by applying an electric field along the channel. Based on the optimally spaced microstructures and the electrotaxis behaviour of the worms, we demonstrate the feasibility of a sorting strategy of C. elegans based on their size-dependent swimming behaviour. This micro-platform can also be used for other applications, such as behavioural studies of normal and locomotion-defective mutant worms in complex structures.