Neural research: A leap forward with hydrogel technology and modular networks
AIMR-led innovations bridge spatial and temporal gaps in neuronal network studies
image: Dr. Yamamoto (right), Dr. Hirano-Iwata (middle) and Mr. Sato, who conducted this research
Credit: Tohoku University
Understanding the relationship between the structure and function of biological neuronal networks is key to uncovering how specific architectures influence network behavior in healthy and diseased states—providing insights into brain functionality and disorders.
To this end, researchers are actively looking for a way to manipulate neuronal networks into a device that enables the recording of neural activities with both spatial and temporal precision.
“Traditional microelectrode arrays can record neural activities with high temporal precision, but they ignore fine spatial details,” explains Hideaki Yamamoto, a member of an AIMR research team. “We wanted to find a recording method that can also provide exquisite spatial information.”
In a 2023, Yamamoto, Ayumi Hirano-Iwata and co-workers achieved this objective by combining microfluidic cell engineering with high-density microelectrode arrays (HD-MEAs).
“In this work, our strategy was to use a hydrogel coating technique to seamlessly integrate microfluidic devices with HD-MEAs,” says Yamamoto. “This approach stabilized the construction of complex neuronal architectures on HD-MEAs that facilitated neural-activity measurements, while providing precise structural information on the neuronal networks.”
The demonstration of a neuronal-network manipulation and recording method capable of providing precise information on both structure and activity has expanded the team into a fifteen-university research consortium, including AIMR, RIEC, Oita University, Waseda University, and Future University Hakodate. Funded by the MEXT Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A) program, the consortium is entitled “Multicellular Neurobiocomputing.”
A recent result from the consortium explored the possibility of replacing artificial neuronal networks in reservoir-based predictive coding with biologically inspired neuronal network models.
Patrick Han authored this article.
About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)
The WPI program was launched in 2007 by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to foster globally visible research centers boasting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. Numbering more than a dozen and operating at institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to engage in innovative modes of management and research. The program is administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
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Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR)
Tohoku University
Establishing a World-Leading Research Center for Materials Science
AIMR aims to contribute to society through its actions as a world-leading research center for materials science and push the boundaries of research frontiers. To this end, the institute gathers excellent researchers in the fields of physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, and mathematics and provides a world-class research environment.