Rivlin Lab

Excited to share our latest study! 🧠✨ We reveal how non-direction-selective retinal ganglion cells encode motion beyond their receptive field, relaying the unconventional signals to the brain. A new insight into multimodal neurons in visual processing! pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

In Nature Electronics, we present BISC with Ken Shepard, @peabody124 & others: an ultrathin brain–computer interface chip with 65,536 electrodes, 1,024 channels, and ~100× higher bandwidth at 100 Mbit/s. A bidirectional platform toward future neocortex–AI 'exocortex' systems. nature.com/articles/s4192…

@ruimcosta So sorry to hear that 🥲

Last night Adam Kampff, the glue, the light, the catalyst, the builder, the smile, left us. He and his work transformed the lives of many labs, scientists, students. He kept inspiring and being generous until his last transformation, and worked tirelessly to set up a foundation to continue the work. He once said when moving from Lisbon to London "I am not leaving, I am just spreading the good work further". Thank you Adam! Thank you!

A simple guide to understanding how neurons make neurotransmitters Your brain has different classes of neurons, each defined by the chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) they release. These transmitters are built from specific precursors using unique enzymes and cofactors. 1️⃣ Cholinergic Neurons (green) Main transmitter: Acetylcholine (ACh). Source: Built from acetyl-CoA and choline. Special enzyme: ChAT (choline acetyltransferase). 🟢 Example: These neurons drive muscle contraction and attention. 2️⃣ GABAergic Neurons (blue) Main transmitter: GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). Source: Derived from glutamate. Special enzyme: GAD (glutamate decarboxylase). 🟢 Example: GABA is the brain’s main “calm-down” signal. 3️⃣ Glutamatergic Neurons (orange) Main transmitter: Glutamate. Source: Recycled from other cells and stored in vesicles. 🟢 Example: Glutamate is the brain’s main “go” signal for learning and memory. 4️⃣ Serotonergic Neurons (green-teal) Main transmitter: Serotonin (5-HT). Source: Made from tryptophan → 5-HTP → serotonin. Special enzymes: TPH (tryptophan hydroxylase), DDC (decarboxylase). Cofactor: BH₄ (tetrahydrobiopterin) 🟢 Example: Serotonin regulates mood, sleep, and appetite. 5️⃣ Dopaminergic Neurons (light blue) Main transmitter: Dopamine. Source: Made from tyrosine → L-DOPA → dopamine. Special enzyme: TH (tyrosine hydroxylase), DDC. Cofactor: BH₄. 🟢 Example: Dopamine drives motivation, reward, and movement. 6️⃣ Noradrenergic / Octopaminergic Neurons (red) Main transmitter: Norepinephrine (mammals) or Octopamine (in invertebrates). Source: Derived from tyrosine/tyramine. Special enzyme: TBH (tyramine β-hydroxylase). Cofactor: BH₄. 🟢 Example: Linked to arousal and “fight or flight.” 7️⃣ Tyraminergic Neurons (orange-brown) Main transmitter: Tyramine. Source: Made from tyrosine → tyramine. Special enzyme: TDC (tyrosine decarboxylase). 🟢 Example: Acts as a trace amine, modulating dopamine and serotonin systems. Supporting Pathways (Panels B & C): Acetyl-CoA production (B): from the citric acid cycle, provides building blocks for acetylcholine. BH₄ synthesis (C): a critical cofactor for making serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Each neurotransmitter system has its own “assembly line”: specific precursors, enzymes, and cofactors. Together, they form the brain’s chemical language — acetylcholine for movement and attention, glutamate and GABA for balance, and monoamines (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine) for mood, reward, and arousal.

Arousal as a universal embedding for spatiotemporal brain dynamics Preprint: biorxiv.org/content/10.110… nature.com/articles/s4158…

Our fluorescence lifetime photometry at high temporal resolution (FLIPR) paper is now online at Neuron. FLIPR allows for fast (10Hz-1 kHz) and slow (min-hrs) measurement of absolute neuronal signals in freely moving mice. We highlight the utility by measuring tonic and phasic DA.

A real-time all-optical interface for dynamic perturbation of neural activity during behavior: sciencedirect.com/science/articl… Real-time interface that integrates CaImAn for online calcium imaging analysis, and a custom hologram program for two-photon optogenetic stimulation.

A pair of papers on using holographic optogenetics and compressed sensing for connectomics Rapid learning of neural circuitry from holographic ensemble stimulation enabled by model-based compressed sensing nature.com/articles/s4159…

Nature A compressed hierarchy for visual form processing in the tree shrew nature.com/articles/s4158…

Thrilled to share that our work is now published in @ScienceMagazine!✨ We found a preference for visual objects in the mouse spatial navigation system where they dynamically refine head-direction coding. In short, objects boost our inner compass!🧭 science.org/doi/10.1126/sc… 🧵1/

The human brain synchronizes visual signals by adjusting axonal conduction speed in the retina—revealing a previously unknown mechanism for precise perceptual timing @Annalis43262927 @FelixFranke7 @IOB_ch nature.com/articles/s4159…

Next-generation phenotyping of inherited retinal diseases: Eye2Gene (AI-driven algorithm). Better-than-expert accuracy for 63 common genetic causes. @ucl @npontikos @GeoMichalis @MaximilianPfau3 @sktywagner @riksag @KonBalaskas #NIH @NatMachIntell: brnw.ch/21wUfkJ

Karl and I wrote a short opinion piece on the importance of comparative neuroscience

Vision shapes representations of space in the hippocampus, whether you are a bird or a primate. It is sensory ecology doing its job... nature.com/articles/s4158…

Our latest work is out today in @NeuroCellPress . Using voltage imaging, we clarified how serotonergic neurons compute action effectiveness during learning behavior. With Ravid Haruvi, @zq_wei and @MishaAhrens sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Now out in NatComms: Mice and monkeys spontaneously shift through comparable cognitive states - and it's written all over their faces! (1/7) nature.com/articles/s4146…

65 years after Lettvin’s bug detector neurons in the frog retina, we revisit how the retina drives behavior—from reflexes to prey capture to brain-state modulation New review with @AnnaIntegrated & Serena Riccitelli in Annual Review of Vision Science 👇 tinyurl.com/ymp3vs4d

The ON/OFF dichotomy is fundamental to visual processing. In a new study led by Flori Soto, we identify a conserved molecular mechanism establishing the OFF pathway. rdcu.be/eikoa

Our two-photon GABA imaging from mouse retina has been published! @Aki_Yz_Matsu in my lab spearheaded this project. I want to thank @LoogerL for molecular clustering and @janeliagenie for the amazing iGABASnFR2 sensor! nature.com/articles/s4159…

Must read new book by Nachum Ulanovsky!! The book outlines a new revolutionary approach for studying the brain closer to the natural behavior of animals and humans — namely, taking a more ecological approach to neuroscience.

What are serotonin neurons trying to tell the brain? Our work on the question has been so much fun (@JCBeique , @JermiahYCohen, @grossmancooper ). Check out @efharkin_ 's exciting paper biorxiv.org/content/10.110… nature.com/articles/s4158…