Synapse-mapping chip gives new picture of brain activity

The chip consists of an array of vertically-aligned nanometer-scale electrodes on the surface, which are operated by an underlying integrated circuit. Each nanoelectrode is coated with platinum powder, which enhances its ability to pass signals. Neurons are cultured directly on the chip. The integrated circuit sends a current to each coupled neuron through the nanoelectrode to open tiny holes in its membrane, creating intracellular access. At the same time, the integrated circuit also amplifies the voltage signals from the neuron picked up by the nanoelectrode through the holes. 

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"In this way we combined the high sensitivity of intracellular recording and the parallelism of the modern electronic chip," said first author Jeffrey Abbott, a postdoctoral fellow in Harvard’s Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology and the John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).