BEL News
Mechanical stimulation and electrophysiological monitoring at sub-cellular resolution
Synchronized combination of atomic force microscopy, high-density microelectrode array, and fluorescence microscopy developed. System can mechanically characterize and stimulate individual neurons at picoNewton force sensitivity and nanometer precision while monitoring electrophysiological activity at sub-cellular spatial and millisecond temporal resolution.
HD-MEAs contribute to detecting proteinopathies in human neurodegenerative diseases
New 2D human-derived cell-culture model developed and electrophysiologically characterized, which led to discovery of new protein, neuronal pentraxin 2 (NPTX2), playing an important role in neurodegenerative diseases amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLS).
DeePhys: New machine-learning-assisted platform for electrophysiological phenotyping
Newly developed machine-learning-assisted platform DeePhys enables phenotypic electrophysiological screenings at the cellular and network level, identification of reliable features to classify healthy and mutant neuron lines, and comprehensive evaluation of pharmacological interventions.
Versatile intestine-on-chip system for studying inflammatory bowel disease
Novel intestine-on-chip microfluidic system for in‑vitro recapitulation of intestinal barrier. System enables simultaneous multiparameter investigations of role of different immune cell types through high-resolution microscopy, analysis of cell surface markers, and chemo/cytokine profiling.
Lecture in memoriam of Oliver Brand at GeorgiaTech
Oliver Brand Memorial Lecture titled "Microphysiological systems and highly integrated microelectrode arrays" held by A. Hierlemann at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, USA.
2022 Swiss 3Rs Young Investigator Award to Wei Wei
Swiss 3Rs Young Investigator Award by the Swiss 3R Competence Center to Wei Wei and coworkers for paper "3D in vitro blood-brain-barrier model for investigating barrier insults" in Advanced Science.
CMOS-based highly scalable flexible neural electrode interface
Electrode connector based on an ultra-conformable thin-film electrode array was developed that self-assembles onto silicon microelectrode arrays enabling high channel counts at a millimeter scale. Interconnects were formed using microfabricated electrode pads suspended by thin support arms.
Combining patch clamp and HD-MEAs to characterize synaptic inputs
Characterization of synaptic integration in large and active networks of cultured neurons by using simultaneous patch-clamp and large-scale extracellular recordings. Development of a method to distinguish excitatory and inhibitory inputs to postsynaptic cells.
New 3D in vitro blood-brain-barrier (BBB) model
Novel microfluidic BBB platform consisting of human cerebral endothelial cells, primary pericytes and astrocytes in 3D arrangement and featuring integrated, transparent electrodes for monitoring barrier tightness in real time at high resolution.
Microphysiological drug-testing platform for leukemia
Microphysiological drug-testing platform developed that enables co-culturing and controlled interaction of patient-derived leukemia cells, human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells, and human liver microtissues within the same microfluidic system.