On-chip devices for stimulation and recording of communication in guided cell networks

Chip-based arrays for stimulation and recording of cell-network activity provide tools for investigating electrophysiological and neurochemical communication. For example, microelectrode arrays can be used for real-time recording of action potentials or vesicular neurotransmitter release from many individual cells in parallel. In the past, most of these studies have been performed on brain slices or randomly connected cell networks growing on the chip surface. Modifying the interface using micro- and nanofabrication technology can significantly enhance stimulation and recording capabilities. Here, we introduce signal amplification strategies based on electrochemical redox cycling, the repetitive oxidation and reduction of target molecules at closely-spaced electrodes in nanocavity devices. We show how the design of the interface affects electrical and electrochemical sensing performance, which could potentially be exploited for high-density imaging of synaptic activity. At the same time, the nanocavity devices can be used for applying stimulation at the single-cell level.

Student event: Meet the speaker
We invite you to a student-only discussion-round with Prof. Dr. Bernhard Wolfrum before his Munich Physics Colloquium talk.
Be curious and feel free to ask any question.
Monday, 13 June 2016, 16:00 h
Room H537 (top floor), Fakultät für Physik der LMU, Schellingstraße 4, München