CAREER: Bioelectronics-embedded hybrid brain tissues

Tufts University, Medford MA

Investigators

Abstract

This CAREER award aims to explore lab-grown brain tissues that are monitored and controlled through embedded bioelectronic devices. In vitro brain tissue models play an important role in neuroscience because they enable studies that cannot be performed in living humans, for example how the young brain develops or is affected by injury or disease. These models, however, are limited. Brains are composed of networks of neurons that communicate through electrical impulses, yet current technologies cannot interact with these signals. This project will develop a brain-machine interface that will provide bioelectronic outputs and inputs from multiple locations throughout the brain tissue. The outputs will provide insights into how the brain develops or responds to stimuli, while the inputs will provide insight into how sensory signals are processed. In addition to generating knowledge about neuroscience and materials science, the tools generated in this project could provide insights into brain dysfunction, including neurological disorders which affect one in six people globally. This project will also use neuroscience as a tool to recruit and retain underrepresented minorities into Science, Technology Engineering and Math fields through high school outreach, funded summer internships, and coursework designed to engage a diverse audience. This CAREER award aims to develop an engineered hybrid brain tissue model that merges functional neuronal networks with bioelectronic devices in 3D configurations. Central to the work will be a BioElectronic Mesh (BioEM) that will support multiplexed stimulation and/or recording elements and their interconnections; and will seamlessly integrate with the surrounding tissue. The central hypothesis is that information stored and transmitted in engineered neural networks can be decoded or reprogrammed via this two-way bioelectronic interface. The project will incorporate investigations at the materials, device, and tissue scales. The first goal is to develop a BioEM suitable for neuronal integration. Chemical and nanomaterials-based approaches will be explored to achieve bioactive interfaces that promote electronic coupling. The second goal is to investigate how outputs can be used to derive information about the structure of the networks and how they respond to chemical perturbations. Network analysis and machine learning techniques will be developed to analyze the volumes of data produced and derive predictive frameworks. The third goal is to incorporate stimulation devices to achieve sensory-like inputs and study how they affect neuronal function including synaptic plasticity or “memory” formation. The final goal is to incorporate nanoelectronic probes that enter the cytosol and measure intracellular signals. In addition to enriching our understanding of neuroscience, the tools and knowledge generated will bolster the utility of in vitro models for brain dysfunction, including neurological disorders which affect one in six people globally. The research could also be transformative for other fields, including hybrid biological/solid-state computation, bioelectronic medicine, developmental biology and regenerative medicine. In addition, the program will incorporate an education component aimed at increasing participation and retention among underrepresented minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields. It will establish a high school outreach program, funded summer internship opportunities, and coursework that incorporates culturally sustained pedagogies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.