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Brainstorm (EU project, FP7-ICT 215486)
The BRAINSTORM project develops an integrated system enabling on-chip intracellular recordings from a relatively large cultured neuronal network combined with chemical sensing and intracellular delivery of biologically active molecules. To achieve tight coupling with the cell membrane and enable efficient recordings, micro-nail-type probes will be integrated with a CMOS readout circuitry. These micro-nails are structured to operate either as intracellular microelectrodes or as intracellular micro-syringes allowing either chemical injection or to produce pressure or suction that will be used in additional to other procedures to penetrate the cell membrane. With appropriate bio-functionalization, the micro-nails inserted intracellularly will also serve as sensors for phosphorylation / dephosphorylation reactions within living cells.
In that context, the role of the BIOS group consists of developing the microfluidic interface with the neuron cells for intracellular analysis and stimulation. This role includes three main tasks: (i) the fabrication of microfluidic channels, (ii) their assembly with the chips developed by IMEC and including the microelectrodes and the microsyringes, and (iii) the packaging of the resulting chips, and their fluidic connection.
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Picture of a microfluidic chip after its assembly to a glass substrate. The chip includes 4 independent microchannels, each channel being connected to one microsyringe present in the passive chip. |
Picture of one packaging option developed to connect a microchip (see picture on the left) to standard capillary, through the use of metal tubing. A PDMS layer is inserted between the chip and the metal part. |
Partners
Bioelectronic Systems Group, IMEC, Leuven, Belgium
Pepscan B.V. (NL)
Department of Inorganic & Analytical Chemistry; Microelectronics Lab, School of Engineering; Department of Neurobiology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), Israël
Contact persons
