Implementing Nanogap Sensors in Neuroscience Research

描述（由申请人提供）：神经系统疾病对社会有重大负面影响。为了解决这个问题，迫切需要开发新的技术来监测神经元活动，从而提高对神经系统，更具体地说是大脑功能的理解。其中包括基于先前开发的纳米制造技术的超灵敏神经递质检测技术。创新纳米制造工作的预期结果将是创造下一代传感设备和方法。在本研究中，这些设备和方法将被应用于监测单个神经元和模型神经元的胞吐释放，以提高对胞吐机制的理解。这项工作的预期结果将是新的分析工具，将能够在极小体积的离子溶液中超灵敏地检测神经学相关分子。这些分子的测量将使以前无法获得的神经生理学数据成为可能。对这些现有数据的分析将导致神经和神经退行性疾病的新治疗方法。虽然这些技术适用于各种科学问题，但由于神经科学研究的重要性及其对人类健康的影响，最初的应用将集中在神经元功能上。神经和神经退行性疾病仍然是现代社会的一个问题。例如，吸毒成瘾会导致生产力的严重损失。从拟议的工作中获得的对人类大脑和药理学制剂（如滥用药物）对人类大脑的影响的进一步了解，将导致神经和神经退行性疾病的新治疗方法。为了实现这些目标，将开发研究大脑关键组成部分，特别是神经元的方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Disorders of the nervous system have significant negative affects on society. In order to address this problem, there is an urgent need to develop new techniques to monitor neuronal activity that will enable improved understanding of the nervous system, and more specifically brain function. These include ultrasensitive neurotransmitter detection techniques based on previously developed nanofabrication technologies. The expected result of the innovative nanofabrication work will be the creation of next-generation sensing devices and methodologies. In the proposed work, these devices and methodologies will be applied to monitor exocytotic release from individual neurons and model neurons to improve understanding of the mechanisms of exocytosis. The expected result of this effort will be new analytical tools that will enable ultra-sensitive detection of neurologically related molecules of interest in extremely small volumes of ionic solution. The measurement of these molecules will enable the acquisition of neurophysiological data that was not practically available previously. The analysis of this now available data will lead to new treatment methods for neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. While these techniques are applicable to a variety of problems in the sciences, initial applications will be focused on neuronal function due to the importance of neuroscience research and its impact on human health. Neurological and neurodegenerative disorders continue to be a problem in modern society. For example, drug addiction causes significant loss of productivity. Improved understanding of the human brain, and the effects of pharmacological agents (e.g., drugs of abuse) on the human brain, learned as a result of the proposed work will lead to new treatment methods for neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. To accomplish these goals, methodologies to study the key components of the brain, specifically neurons, will be developed.