3D "brain on chip" has potential for more realistic insights into brain cells
A three-dimensional “brain-on-a-chip” should provide researchers with a more realistic model of neurons and how they are affected by different medicines, according to its developer.
The 3D array, consisting of a sieve-like structure with hundreds of openings shaped like inverted pyramids, has been developed by Bart Schurink, a researcher at the University of Twente’s MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology.
It will allow researchers to carry out more realistic studies of brain cell operation than the conventional 2D model consisting of a petri dish with flat electrodes, Schurink said.
“If you culture cells on a 2D surface, the cells will become flat, and they will not be in their evolved morphology, or shape, anymore,” said Schurink. “What biologists believe is that cells in the body have a round shape, and to get more representative results, you need to have this round morphology on your electrodes."
The structure, known as a micro sieve electrode array, contains 900 pyramid-shaped openings. Each of these openings is equipped with an electrode to measure electrical signals from the cells or send stimuli to the network.
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