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CATEGORIES:BSS Formal Seminars
SUMMARY:Compact self-wired cultured neural networks - Dr Y
 ael Hanein\, School of Electrical Engineering\; Ph
 ysical Electronics\, Tel-Aviv University
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20061020T141500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20061020T151500
UID:TALK5203AThttp://talks.cam.ac.uk
URL:http://talks.cam.ac.uk/talk/index/5203
DESCRIPTION:Interfacing biological systems with artificial sub
 strates is of great importance for various applica
 tions such as bio-sensing and the investigation of
  cultured neuronal networks. Accordingly\, many me
 thods were developed to control and to study the i
 nteraction between cells and surfaces. Vast majori
 ty of these approaches consist of chemical modific
 ation. A newly proposed approach to form a control
 led interface consists of surface texture at the s
 cale of several nanometers to micrometers. Such su
 rfaces affect the attachment of certain cells to t
 he surface and can be used as a mechanism to posit
 ion cells at particular areas on a substrate. Clea
 rly\, the recent advances in nanotechnology offer 
 a unique opportunity to seek nano-topographical su
 rfaces that may allow exciting advantages over exi
 sting technologies such as simplified fabrication 
 processes and improved biocompatibility. These sur
 faces are studied by various groups with the aim t
 o expand contemporary tools beyond the conventiona
 l semi-conductor micro-fabrication technology.  \n
 \nIn the past several years we have developed a ne
 w method for neuronal cell patterning using nano t
 opography realized by islands of high density fabr
 ics made of carbon nanotubes (CNT). Carbon nanotub
 e coated surfaces are biocompatible\, and are exce
 llent surfaces for cell growth and thus are excell
 ent candidates to be used to interface man-made su
 bstrates with biological systems. Photo-lithograph
 y and carbon nanotube chemical vapor deposition te
 chniques were used to realize carbon nanotube base
 d electrodes with excellent recording capabilities
 . Neurons self-organize on these lithographically 
 defined templates to form interconnected networks 
 with pre-designed geometry and graph connectivity.
  Our novel approach enables to precisely engineer 
 the geometry as well as the connectivity propertie
 s of real neural networks\, thus paves the way for
  a wide variety of composite bio-networks. \n\n\n1
 .Tamir Gabay\, Eyal Jakobs\, Eshel Ben-Jacob\, and
  Yael Hanein\, Engineered self-organization of neu
 ral networks using CNT clusters\, Physica A\, 350\
 , pp 611-621\, 2005.\n\n2.R. Sorkin\, T. Gabay\, P
 . Blinder\, D. Baranes\, E. Ben-Jacob and  Y. Hane
 in\, Compact self-wiring in cultured neural networ
 ks\, Journal of neural engineering\, 3\, pp 1-7\, 
 2006.\n\n
LOCATION:IRC in Superconductivity Seminar Room\, Cavendish 
 Laboratory
CONTACT:Dr Kalin Dragnevski
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