Scientists Create Neuro-Chips
Posted on March 29, 2006
LiveScience via MSNBC.com reports that scientists have created neuro-chips that contain both living brain cells and silicon circuits -- the first step towards an organic computer.
To create the neuro-chip, researchers squeezed more than 16,000 electronic transistors and hundreds of capacitors onto a silicon chip just 1 millimeter square in size.The article said any practical uses from the neuro-chips are still decades away. A couple examples of the neuro-chips' potential uses include treatements for neurological disorders and quick tests for screening drugs.They used special proteins found in the brain to glue brain cells, called neurons, onto the chip. However, the proteins acted as more than just a simple adhesive.
"They also provided the link between ionic channels of the neurons and semiconductor material in a way that neural electrical signals could be passed to the silicon chip," said study team member Stefano Vassanelli from the University of Padua in Italy.
The proteins allowed the neuro-chip's electronic components and its living cells to communicate with each other. Electrical signals from neurons were recorded using the chip's transistors, while the chip's capacitors were used to stimulate the neurons.
