SGER: Nanowire Array Technologies for Neural Recording Applications

这个SGER的目标是开发一种先进的纳米设备来记录神经元的电活动。该装置将由一组导电纳米线阵列组成，这些纳米线阵列将记录来自神经元的纳米级电信号。这将提供对神经元学习和记忆过程的基本理解，并将导致神经植入和未来脑机接口设备的重要临床应用。智力优势：这种SGER有许多特征，对于学习记录神经元的电活动非常有用。这将是基于纳米线阵列的设备的首次演示，该设备将允许记录来自单个神经元同时位置的电活动，从而实现高空间分辨率。此外，由于纳米线相对于神经元的尺寸较小（通常为几微米量级），因此对细胞的损害最小。这项研究将提供纳米/微制造与生物学的完美结合，为未来使用类似原理的其他新型设备奠定基础。利用纳米线阵列进行神经元电记录显然是一种新颖的方法，为在纳米水平上研究神经元活动开辟了许多可能性。本文提出的纳米线-神经元装置将成为研究纳米线与细胞之间生物物理相互作用的模型系统。纳米线为适当的生物识别分子的功能化提供了平台，确保细胞固定化和更稳定的“细胞附着”电记录。广泛影响：由于纳米线相对于神经元的尺寸较小，我们的设备将允许对神经元功能的基本理解，这将影响我们对神经系统疾病和中风背后的神经回路变化的理解。我们工作的一个更直接的影响将与细胞与纳米环境相互作用的基本理解有关，这不仅涉及神经元，还涉及其他细胞，如癌细胞、干细胞等。在教育领域，一名研究生将参与这项工作，该项目将导致新的实验室设施的发展，特别是那些与细胞培养和细胞特性有关的实验室设施。

Latika MenonThe objective of this SGER is to develop an advanced nanodevice for recording electrical activity in neurons. The device will consist of an array of conducting nanowire arrays which will record electrical signals from neurons at the nanoscale level. This will provide a fundamental understanding of learning and memory processes in neurons and will lead to important clinical applications in neural implants and future brain machine interface devices. Intellectual Merit:This SGER has many features that will be very useful for learning about recording electrical activity in neurons. This will be the first demonstration of a nanowire-array based device which will allow recording of electrical activity from simultaneous locations in a single neuron thus leading to high spatial resolution. In addition, nanowires will cause minimal damage to the cell due to their small size with respect to the neuron (typically of the order of several microns). This research will provide an excellent integration of nano/microfabrication with biology, laying the groundwork for other novel devices in the future using similar principles. Use of nanowire-arrays for electrical recording from neurons is clearly a novel approach opening a number of possibilities for studying neuronal activity at the nanoscale level. The nanowire-neuron device proposed here will be a model system to study biophysical interactions between nanowires and cells. Nanowires provide the platform for functionalization with appropriate biorecognition molecules, ensuring cell immobilization and a more stable 'cell-attached' electrical recording. Broad Impact: Due to the small size of the nanowires with respect to the neuron sizes our device will allow a fundamental understanding of neuronal functions which will impact our understanding of changes in neural circuits that underlie neurological disorders and stroke. A more direct impact of our work will be related to a fundamental understanding of cell interaction with nano-environment which will relate not only to neurons but also to other cells such as cancer cells, stem cells, etc. In the area of education, one graduate student will be involved in the work and the project will lead to development of new laboratory facilities, particularly those pertaining to cell culture and cell characterization.