{"id":1935,"date":"2024-10-17T07:52:13","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T05:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/news\/e-flower-records-neuronal-activity-with-electronic-petals-3\/"},"modified":"2024-12-10T17:23:26","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T15:23:26","slug":"e-flower-records-neuronal-activity-with-electronic-petals-3","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/news\/e-flower-records-neuronal-activity-with-electronic-petals-3\/","title":{"rendered":"e-Flower records neuronal activity with electronic petals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Neural spheroids \u2014 3D clusters of brain cells \u2014 are emerging as essential tools for understanding neural networks and studying neurological diseases in the lab. EPFL\u2019s e-Flower, a flower-shaped 3D microelectrode array (MEA), allows researchers to monitor the electrical activity of these spheroids in a way that was previously impossible. This breakthrough, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adp8054\">published in <em>Science Advances<\/em><\/a>, lays the groundwork for more sophisticated research on brain organoids, which are complex, miniaturized models of brain tissues.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\">\n<p>Our flexible technology makes it possible to get accurate recordings without damaging the 3D neural models.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"blockquote-footer\">St\u00e9phanie P. Lacour<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe e-Flower lets us record neural activity from much more of the surface of neural spheroids in real-time \u2014 something that wasn\u2019t possible with earlier tools. Our flexible technology makes it possible to get accurate recordings without damaging the 3D neural models, giving us a better understanding of how their complex circuits work,\u201d says St\u00e9phanie P. Lacour, lead author of the paper and head of the Laboratory for Soft Bioelectronic Interfaces (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epfl.ch\/labs\/lsbi\/\">LSBI<\/a>) at the Neuro X Institute.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why neural spheroids?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe focused on neural spheroids for this study because they provide a straightforward and accessible model,\u201d says Eleonora Martinelli, one of the lead researchers on the project.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image\" style=\"float:left\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/\/actu.epfl.ch\/public\/upload\/fckeditorimage\/92\/bc\/9f9374f8.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/><figcaption>Eleonora Martinelli says the goal is to apply the e-Flower to brain organoids. \u00a9 2024 EPFL \/ Alain Herzog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Neural spheroids are three-dimensional clusters of neurons that replicate some of the key functions of brain tissue. They are simpler than organoids, which contain multiple cell types and more closely mimic the brain. The LSBI team at Campus Biotech worked in collaboration with Luc Stoppini and Adrien Roux at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hesge.ch\/hepia\/en\/group\/bioengineering\">Tissue Engineering Laboratory<\/a> (HEPIA-HESGE), researchers with long-standing experience with neural spheroids electrophysiology.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpheroids are relatively easy to produce and manipulate in the lab, which makes them ideal for early-stage testing,\u201d Martinelli continues. \u201cHowever, our goal is to eventually apply the e-Flower to brain organoids, which more accurately model brain development and disorders.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOrganoids represent an exciting interface both for neuroscience research and next-generation neurotechnology,\u201d says St\u00e9phanie Lacour. \u201cThey bridge the gap between simplified <em>in vitro<\/em> models and the complexities of the human brain. Our work with the e-Flower is a critical step toward being able to explore these 3D models.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>The serendipity behind the innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\">\n<p>What was originally a problem for one project became the solution for another.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"blockquote-footer\">Eleonora Martinelli<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Interestingly, the e-Flower was born out of an unexpected discovery. Outman Akouissi, a collaborator on the project, encountered a challenge while working on soft implants for peripheral nerves: the hydrogels he used caused his devices to curl unpredictably when exposed to water. What started as a frustration turned into a breakthrough when Akouissi and Martinelli realized this curling mechanism could be harnessed for a completely different application \u2014 wrapping around neural spheroids.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was a perfect example of how serendipity can lead to innovation,\u201d says Martinelli. \u201cWhat was originally a problem for one project became the solution for another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>A new approach to neural electrophysiology<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The device consists of four flexible petals equipped with platinum electrodes, which curl around the spheroid when exposed to the liquid that supports the cell structure. This actuation is driven by the swelling of a soft hydrogel, making the device both gentle on the tissue and easy to use.<\/p>\n<p>Designed to be compatible with existing electrophysiological systems, the e-Flower offers a plug-and-play solution for researchers, avoiding the need for complex external actuators or harmful solvents.<\/p>\n<p>Once the technology is applied to organoids, the ability to record electrical activity from all sides will provide a much more comprehensive understanding of brain processes. Researchers hope this will lead to new insights into neurodevelopment, brain injury recovery, and neurological diseases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2098,"template":"","project":[],"faculty":[],"public":[],"themes":[],"news-category":[23],"class_list":["post-1935","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-research"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/1935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"project","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project?post=1935"},{"taxonomy":"faculty","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/faculty?post=1935"},{"taxonomy":"public","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/public?post=1935"},{"taxonomy":"themes","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/themes?post=1935"},{"taxonomy":"news-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neuro-x.epfl.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-category?post=1935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}