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Brains on a Chip

Posted by michael on from the pass-the-onion-dip-and-salsa dept.

jhouserizer writes "The New Scientist magazine has an article reporting on new advances in keeping brain tissue alive (and working) on a "chip", with electrodes that can monitor the brain activity. Could this be a step toward computers that can learn as humans learn?"

3 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. Who will it be? by silicon_synapse · · Score: 3, Informative

    Well this brain tissue will have to come from somewhere. If it comes from humans, we could have the same issues as with stem cell research. If it comes from animals (more likely) PETA will defecate copious amounts of brick

    1. Re:Who will it be? by dacarr · · Score: 2, Informative
      They already have used animals. Note the article mentions rat {and,or} mouse brain tissue.

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      This sig no verb.
  2. Re:Hocum or over protective of company IP? by Alik · · Score: 5, Informative

    That's because it's not a breakthrough, it's commercialization of stuff that's been done in the academic labs for a couple years. Amazingly, it *does* take time to go from neat idea to marketable product. Electrode arrays can be a real bitch to fabricate.

    See:

    Biosensors & Bioelectronics 16:527-33
    Brain Research Protocols 2(4):229-42
    Journal of Neuroscience Methods 101(1):31-42
    Journal of Neuroscience Methods 114(2):135-48

    Plus, as the other poster mentioned, Jerry Pine's work. However, AFAIK, Pine's no longer working on that project, having found other interests. Pity, because the neurowells (as noted by Peter Fromherz in the New Scientist article) give the kind of single-unit interface that might be very desirable. I know that my group is planning to use similar approaches.