The microfluidic ion pump: a new tool for understanding the brain

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The language of biology is primarily chemical. Cells and tissues use a variety of chemicals to communicate and to control basic functions. The effect of a given chemical can vary depending on location, timing and concentration just as the meaning of a given word can change depending on context. Nonetheless, scientists lack tools that can send controlled amounts of chemicals to precise locations within tissues without causing significant damage. This is particularly true when it comes to interfacing with the brain as implants can easily destroy the very cells and tissue that are the subject of study. The absence of a minimally invasive tool for chemical delivery in the brain constrains our ability to understand our most complex organ. I propose an innovative solution to this problem: a tiny implant with neuron-like features that neuroscientists can use to safely deliver a wide range of chemicals in the brain with precise control of when, where, and how much chemical is delivered. The device known as the microfluidic ion pump works by using a small electric field to push chemicals from an internal microfluidic reservoir across an ion conducting membrane out to the surrounding tissue. These devices will be designed in the image of neurons with the ability to sense and deliver chemicals along with structural features and mechanical properties on par with nerve tissue. By mimicking nerve tissue, the implants will limit the damage caused during implantation and will mitigate the body's standard defence mechanism against foreign implants. This will enable the devices to be implanted in the brain of animal models for extended periods of time all the while providing scientists with a means to precisely control the local delivery of important chemicals. The realization of this tool will enable new discoveries concerning how the brain works and what we can be done when it goes wrong. As chemical signalling is fundamental to all living systems from animals to plants to bacteria, these same research tools will eventually be adapted to other systems to enable fundamental discoveries impacting all manners of life from agriculture to healthcare.