Engineering neuronal network functions in culture using microfabricated surfaces

Abstract

Nerve cells in culture take irreplaceable roles in molecular and cellular neuroscience. However, the fact that neurons form random connections, which are substantially different from the actual brain, has limited the wide application of cell culture in systems-level studies. Surface modification combined with microfabrication has a high potential to circumvent this limitation of cell culture technology in neuroscience. In the talk, I will discuss about how the technology can expand the possibility of the cell culture system to model and study the structure-function relationships in living neuronal networks. I will also talk about novel surface engineering techniques that permits in situ manipulation of cell culture scaffolds.

Selected references

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