Neurotechnologies Projects

Contacts: Luca Berdondini, Axel Blau, Silvia Dante (Team leaders); Emanuele Marconi (PhD stedent); Sergio Martinoia (Senior collaborator).
To generate architectures of neural ensembles for specific in-vitro experimental models, neuronal networks are designed at cellular or population levels by means of (bio )chemical patterning or confining structures.

Attention is paid to the optimization of the interaction between neurones and substrates in order to increase the cell survival while, at the same time, providing an optimal (bidirectional) signal transfer from neurons to the signal transduction sites. In addition, efforts are aimed at generating portable cell culture micro-environments to maintain physiological and controlled conditions in long-term electrophysiological or microscopy experiments.

All of these R&D activities target at improving the substrate/tissue interface and at providing stable bio-mimetic environments to not only gain a better insight into the underlying neuronal differentiation and (self-)organization mechanisms, but also to unravel the dynamic properties of connected neural ensembles.