Interfacing Live Cells with Artificial Membranes: Synchronization in a Coupled Nonlinear System

该奖项的研究目标是探索内耳毛细胞之间的运动同步，以及其在机械检测整体灵敏度中的作用。PI将创建一个混合系统，其中包含活细胞和功能细胞的生物制剂与人工聚合物膜连接。这将使得能够直接测量振荡细胞之间的同步的起始和动态。不同材料特性的聚合物膜将用于允许电池间连接的强度变化，并且它们的尺寸将变化以耦合不同数量的元件。电子电路也将被引入，模仿神经控制毛细胞的作用。电压信号将与机械灵敏度测量一起施加在感觉上皮上，反馈电路将使制剂的响应性最大化。混合制备将提供一个系统，其中耦合和适应行为可以独立地变化，因此可以定量评估这两个重要元素的作用。听觉系统的纳米级检测灵敏度尚未得到充分解释，这些实验旨在确定我们对其潜在机制的理解中缺失的组件。该项目是构建可以复制耳蜗行为的仿生设备的第一步，其长期目标是创建可植入的人工机械传感器。PI的教育工作旨在通过引入课程的新课程，本科生研究计划和跨部门讨论论坛，培养研究生和本科生在物理，工程和生物学接口技术。

The research objective of this award is to explore synchronization of motion among hair cells of the inner ear, and its role in the overall sensitivity of mechanical detection. The PI will create a hybrid system, in which a biological preparation containing live and functional cells is interfaced with artificial polymer membranes. This will enable direct measurements of the onset and dynamics of synchronization between oscillatory cells. Polymer membranes of different material properties will be used to allow variation in the strength of inter-cell connections, and their sizes will be varied so as to couple different numbers of elements. Electronic circuits will also be introduced that mimic the role of neural control of hair cells. Voltage signals will be applied across the sensory epithelium in conjunction with the mechanical sensitivity measurements, and a feedback circuit will maximize the responsiveness of the preparation. The hybrid preparation will provide a system in which coupling and adaptive behavior can be independently varied, and hence the role of these two important elements can be quantitatively assessed. Nanoscale sensitivity of detection by the auditory system has still not been fully explained, and these experiments are designed to identify the missing components in our understanding of its underlying mechanisms. The project constitutes the first step towards the construction of a bio-mimetic device that can replicate the behavior of the cochlea, with the long-term goal of creating an implantable artificial mechanical sensor. The educational efforts of the PI aim to train graduate and undergraduate students in techniques at the interface of physics, engineering, and biology, via new courses introduced into the curriculum, undergraduate research programs, and an inter-departmental discussion forum.