Multiplex optical stimulus and readout

1. A multi-well plate reader comprising:

a reading platform to receive a multi-well plate;

a plurality of optical channels, each optical channel capable of transmitting light at a plurality of different wavelengths to, and detecting light at a plurality of different wavelengths from, a set of wells of the multi-well plate, wherein each optical channel comprises:

at least three light sources for emitting three beams of light at three distinct wavelengths and to be transmitted to the set of wells; and

one or more dichroic mirrors to join at least two of the beams of light in space and pass the two joined beams of light through at least one homogenizer for spatially homogenizing the two joined beams of light; and

a control system operable to control environmental conditions of a sample in the multi-well plate.

2. The multi-well plate reader of claim 1 , wherein the homogenizer forms the two joined beams of light into a substantially uniform and rectangular region of illumination.

3. The multi-well plate reader of claim 1 , wherein each optical channel comprises a microlens array that divides the two joined beams of light into uniform beamlets of light directed towards a reflector array.

4. The multi-well plate reader of claim 3 , wherein the reflector array comprises an array of metallic reflectors for directing each of the uniform beamlets of light into a center of a separate respective well of the set of wells and avoids illumination of well walls.

5. The multi-well plate reader of claim 4 , wherein the number of uniform beamlets of light directed towards the set of wells is directly proportional to the overall number of wells of the multi-well plate.

6. The multi-well plate reader of claim 5 , wherein the multi-well plate is a 96-, 384-, or 1536-well plate.

7. The multi-well plate reader of claim 6 , wherein the reflector array is operable to direct approximately 4 uniform beamlets of light into a set of 4 wells of a 96-well plate.

8. The multi-well plate reader of claim 6 , wherein the reflector array is operable to direct approximately 16 uniform beamlets of light into a set of 16 wells of a 384-well plate.

9. The multi-well plate reader of claim 6 , wherein the reflector array is operable to direct approximately 64 uniform beamlets of light into a set of 64 wells of a 1536-well plate.

10. The multi-well plate reader of claim 1 , further comprising imaging lens to direct light from a sample in a well onto an image sensor.

11. The multi-well plate reader of claim 10 , wherein the image sensor comprises an sCMOS image sensor.

12. The multi-well plate reader of claim 1 , wherein at least one light transmitted is a stimulation beam of light, and each optical channel comprises a digital micromirror device (DMD) and the stimulation beam of light reflects off the DMD to illuminate a bottom of a well of the set of wells with a pattern defined by the DMD.

13. The multi-well plate reader of claim 1 , wherein each optical channel detects the light at the plurality of different wavelengths simultaneously.

14. The multi-well plate reader of claim 1 , wherein the light is stimulation light.

15. The multi-well plate reader of claim 14 , wherein the light is stimulation light at a wavelength that excites a fluorophore in a cell.

16. The multi-well plate reader of claim 14 , wherein the light is activation light at a wavelength that activates a light-gated ion channel in a cell.

17. The multi-well plate reader of claim 16 , wherein the light-gated ion channel is in a pre-synaptic neuron connected to a non-selected cell via a synapse.

18. The multi-well plate reader of claim 17 , wherein the non-selected cell comprises an optical reporter of synaptic activity.

19. The multi-well plate reader of claim 1 , wherein the platform further comprises a mechanism to displace the plate with respect to the plurality of optical channels.