Hermans, R. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2026

Neuropixels 1536 Channel Quad Base probe reveals brain-wide communication underlying flexible sensorimotor sequences

The brain orchestrates billions of neurons spanning hundreds of regions to drive behavior. High-density electrophysiology has provided insights into this process, but monitoring brain-wide patterns of spiking activity demands new tools. Here we present Neuropixels 2.0 Quad Base, a 1536-channel probe with four times the simultaneous recording capacity of state-of-art Neuropixels 2.0. Using two Quad Base probes, we performed 3072-channel recordings in mice trained to produce complex sequences of goal-directed licks. We decoded behavioral kinematics from neural populations across more than 20 brain regions and identified the spatiotemporal emergence of motor decision signals. The probes high channel count further revealed expanded inter-neuronal functional subnetworks and latent dynamics across multiple areas--features significantly undersampled when channels were subsampled to mimic standard Neuropixels 2.0. Neuropixels 2.0 Quad Base offers a powerful tool to explore neural encoding of cognition and behavior at grand scale.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Parasitic flatworms infecting thorny skate, Amblyraja radiata: infection by the monogeneans Acanthocotyle verrilli and Rajonchocotyle emarginata in Svalbard

Parasite diversity above the Arctic circle remains understudied even for commercially valuable host taxa. Thorny skate, Amblyraja radiata, is a common bycatch species with a growing commercial value. Its natural range covers both sides of the North Atlantic including the Arctic zone. Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago located on the northwest corner of the Barents Shelf which sustains a spectacular species diversity. So far, several monogenean species have been reported infecting thorny skate across the Atlantic Ocean. In the present study, we intend to fill in the knowledge gap on monogenean parasites infecting thorny skate in the northern part of its range and thus indirectly assess the connectivity between the thorny skate populations off the Svalbard coast and from previously studied locations. 46 monogenean individuals were recovered from 11 specimens of thorny skate. Following morphological and molecular assessment, two species of monogeneans, Acanthocotyle verrilli and Rajonchocotyle emarginata, were identified. The results serve as the northernmost record for both parasite genera and the first record of monogenean species off Svalbard. Detailed morphometric evaluation revealed a relatively high level of morphological variation in A. verrilli compared to its congeners. Phylogenetic reconstruction placed A. verrilli in a well-supported clade with A. imo. Our study also suggests high diagnostic significance of sclerotised structures in the identification of Rajonchocotyle. Even though the occurrence of two directly transmitted parasite species supports the previously suggested long-distance migration of A. radiata, future studies employing highly variable genetic markers are needed to assess the ongoing and historical migration patterns. HighlightsO_LIFirst record of monogenean species in Svalbard C_LIO_LINorthernmost record for representatives of Acanthocotylidae and Hexabothriidae C_LIO_LITransatlantic occurrence of parasites supports connectivity of thorny skate populations C_LI

zoology↗