Engineered neuronal networks for drug screening

University Of Central Florida, Orlando FL

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Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Emerging technologies in bioengineering and neuroscience have demonstrated that using environmental clues surface patterned functional neuronal networks can be engineered. In the framework of this Mentored Career Development Award the candidate will learn these enabling technologies and use this knowledge to create a high-throughput functional method to screen drugs based on excitatory synaptic transmission in oriented rat embryonic hippocampal cultures. Furthermore, the candidate would like to use this award to learn grant writing, project planning and management and collect preliminary data to start his independent scientific career. The selected mentor, the founder of the Hybrid Neuronal Systems Laboratory at Clemson University, is a world-renowned expert in surface chemistry, a pioneer in the field of patterning cells, creating neuron/silicon hybrid systems and has a vast amount of experience in training students and in creating well-funded innovative scientific projects. With his guidance and based on his expertise the candidate will create surface patterns using functionalized self-assembled monolayers to control and guide the self-organizing program in neurons, in order to form functional engineered networks, which mimic existing pathways in the nervous system. Surface patterns will be registered with surface-embedded electrodes allowing high-throughput extracellular recording of synaptic transmission. Modulators of excitatory synaptic transmission will be screened on this model. This high-throughput method would bridge a gap between fast and cheap single-cell assays and slow and expensive tissue/organism level assays and could have a high impact on the identification of novel mechanisms of drug actions or drug candidates in critical areas of biomedical sciences such as neurodegeneration, epilepsy, antidepressants, cognitive enhancers and Alzheimer disease.