NER: Bioelectronic Interfacing of Living Cells via Self-Assembled Microwires

通过自组装的微丝活细胞的生物电子接口我们建议开发一种新的方法来创建生物电子电路，该方法将允许靶向活细胞膜上的特定分子并将其电接口，将细胞并入更大的电路中。这种方法是基于一种新的技术，最近报告的一个PI（科学，294，1082，2001年），允许组装的长，导电微丝直接从悬浮液的金属纳米粒子。通过介电电泳、粒子的迁移和交变电场中的相互作用，实现了微纳米线的组装。我们将设计用于在薄腔室和微流体通道中控制微丝生长的技术，并将开发用于在电场中操作细胞和电线的实验和理论工具，从而导致细胞界面。 生物电子接口是纳米科学研究的一个有前途的，但欠发达的领域。该项目的成功可能会导致新传感器的开发，其中活细胞对不同毒素，生物或化学制剂的反应以更高的精度和灵敏度进行检测。它还可以帮助开发活组织（如神经元）中细胞原位界面的工具。目前的技术要么让细胞位于电极阵列的顶部，要么通过微电极刺穿它们。相比之下，我们将通过纳米粒子自组装完成细胞和电路之间的连接，这是一种潜在的更灵活和强大的方法。

Bioelectronic interfacing of living cells via self-assembled microwires We propose to develop a new method for creating bioelectronic circuits that will allow targeting and electrically interfacing specific molecules on the membrane of living cells, incorporating the cells into larger electrical circuits. This method is based on a new technique reported recently by one of the PIs (Science, 294, 1082, 2001) that allows the assembly of long, electrically conductive microwires directly from suspensions of metallic nanoparticles. The microwires are assembled via dielectrophoresis, the particle mobility and interactions in alternating electric field. We will devise techniques for controlled growth of microwires in thin chambers and microfluidic channels, and will develop experimental and theoretical tools for cell and wire manipulation in the electrical field leading to cell interfacing. Bioelectronic interfacing is one of the promising, yet underdeveloped, areas of nanoscience research. The success of this project could lead to development of new sensors, where the response of living cells to different toxins, biological or chemical agents is detected with greater precision and sensitivity. It can also help in developing tools for in situ interfacing of cells in living tissues (such as neurons). Current techniques either let the cells sit on top of electrode arrays or impale them via microelectrodes. In contrast, we will complete the connection between the cells and the electrical circuits via nanoparticle self-assembly, a potentially much more flexible and powerful approach.