耦合微流控功能的三维神经微电极阵列及其应用研究

在细胞和网络水平，精确定位和分析神经元群体活动的时空特性对于我们理解神经系统的高级功能具有重要意义。由于其无损、多位点同时记录和刺激的特性，神经微电极阵列（microelectrode array, MEA）已成为体外研究神经网络电生理活动最强有力的工具。但是，现有MEA技术仍然存在记录信号信噪比低、实验中神经细胞易迁移以及无法实现高分辨率的外部化学刺激等缺点，因此难以对复杂神经网络中神经元活动发生、传递和响应等过程进行高精度、可靠的时空相关性研究。为了更有效和精确地研究神经网络活动的动态过程，本项目拟研制一种耦合微流控功能单元的、可维持细胞定位的三维MEA芯片，以实现对神经信号的高灵敏检测、神经元细胞群体的定位化学刺激以及神经网络活动时空相关性的可靠研究，从而为神经网络活动和神经系统高级功能研究提供有效的手段和工具，促进神经科学的快速发展。

At the cellular and network level, spatiotemporally coordinated activity of large populations of single neurons is crucial for understanding higher functions of the nervous system. Due to its capability for non-invasive multisite recording and stimulation, planar microelectrode arrays (MEAs) has proven to be a powerful tool for high-resolution interrogation of electrophysiological activity of neural network. However, due to cell migration during culturing, low signal-to-noise ratio and the absence of high-resolution chemical stimulation, it is difficult for current MEA techniques to obtain an accurate portrayal of the signals transmitted in complex neural network and the effect of outside influences on those transmissions. In order to study the dynamics of complex neural networks and monitor the responses of neuronal micro-circuit to external stimulation more effectively and accurately, this program presents a novel MEA platform to enable high sensitive recording, and high precise spatial stimulation and reliable spatio-temporal analysis of neuronal signals by fabricating 3D barrier-type MEAs coupled with micro?uidic arrays. This MEA chip holds promise to provide an efficient tool for studying the activity of neural network and higher functions of nervous system and to move the study of neuroscience into the fast lane.