Printed Artificial Neurons Successfully Interface with Living Brain Tissue
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Engineers at Northwestern University have created printed, flexible artificial neurons that can produce electrical signals and trigger responses in real brain cells. The devices, made from printable electronic inks, successfully activated neurons and neural circuits in slices of mouse cerebellum. This development could lead to new approaches for repairing or augmenting brain function.
Facts First
- Artificial neurons built from printed, flexible materials using molybdenum disulfide and graphene inks.
- Devices produce electrical signals resembling biological neurons, including single spikes and bursting patterns.
- Signals successfully activated real neurons and neural circuits in experiments on slices of mouse brain.
- Manufacturing uses an additive printing process that places material only where needed.
- Study supported by the National Science Foundation and will be published in Nature Nanotechnology.
What Happened
Engineers at Northwestern University created printed, flexible artificial neurons that produce electrical signals resembling those of living neurons. The devices were built using soft, printable materials, including electronic inks made from nanoscale flakes of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and graphene, deposited onto flexible polymer surfaces via aerosol jet printing. In experiments led by neurobiologist Indira M. Raman, the electrical spikes from the artificial neurons... successfully activated real neurons and neural circuits.
Why this Matters to You
This research represents a step toward creating biocompatible electronic devices that could one day interface directly with the nervous system. For individuals with neurological conditions or injuries, such technology might eventually lead to new types of implants or prosthetics designed to repair or augment brain function. The use of flexible, printable materials and additive manufacturing could also make future devices more adaptable and potentially lower-cost compared to traditional rigid silicon electronics.
What's Next
The study, titled 'Multi-order complexity spiking neurons enabled by printed MoS2 memristive nanosheet networks', will be published on April 15 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The research team... may now focus on further refining the artificial neurons' properties and testing their long-term compatibility and functionality within more complex biological systems. The additive printing method used could enable more customized and intricate designs for future neural interfaces.