Robot Brings Patch-Clamping To the Masses

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday August 29, 2012 @04:34AM from the cat-translator-coming-soon dept.

scibri writes about robots helping neuroscientists dig into the brains of (animal) test subjects. From the article: "Robots designed to perform whole-cell patch-clamping, a difficult but powerful method that allows neuroscientists to access neurons' internal electrical workings, could make the tricky technique commonplace. Scientists from MIT have designed a robot that can record electrical currents in up to 4 neurons in the brains of anesthetized mice (abstract) at once, and they hope to extend it to up to 100 at a time. The robot finds its target on the basis of characteristic changes in the electrical environment near neurons. Then, the device nicks the cell's membrane and seals itself around the tiny hole to access the neuron's contents."

4 of 59 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

one step closer by P-niiice · 2012-08-29 04:38 · Score: 5, Funny

one step closer to recording myself into a body not ravaged by television and cheetos
1. Re:one step closer by davester666 · 2012-08-29 04:47 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I'm not sure I want to know how your TV has ravaged you...I hope for your personal safety it's unplugged when it ravages you in the future.
  
  --
  Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
Re:Eeek by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-29 05:07 · Score: 2, Funny

You're getting your brain clamped. Deal with it.
What I immediately thought of by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-29 05:17 · Score: 3, Funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf8_tn7lBIc