Novel Neurochip Technology Could Advance Brain Research

Naweed Syed's lab cultivated brain cells on a microchip. Image source: University of Calgary

Researchers at the University of Calgary report that they have cultivated neurons on silicon microchips. The technology could be used to monitor brain cell activity at an unprecedented resolution. Developed with the National Research Council Canada (NRC), the new silicon chips are also simple to use, which will help future understanding of how neurons work and possibly permit drug discoveries for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The new technology from the lab of Naweed Syed, PhD, in collaboration with the NRC, is published online in the journal Biomedical Microdevices.

“This technical breakthrough means we can track subtle changes in brain activity at the level of ion channels and synaptic potentials, which are also the most suitable target sites for drug development in neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychological disorders,” says Syed, professor and head of the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and advisor to the Vice President Research on Biomedical Engineering Initiative of the University of Calgary.

The new neurochips are also automated. Previously, it took years of training to learn how to record ion channel activity from brain cells, and it was only possible to monitor one or two cells simultaneously. Now, larger networks of cells can be placed on a chip and observed in minute detail, allowing the analysis of several brain cells networking and performing automatic, large-scale drug screening for various brain dysfunctions.

More information on the research is available from the University of Calgary.

Tags: Alzheimer's, National Research Council Canada, Naweed Syed, Parkinson's, silicon chips, University of Calgary