Nyquist noise of cell adhesion detected in a neuron-silicon transistor.
Interfacing of nerve cells and field-effect transistors is determined by current flow along the electrical resistance of the cell-chip junction. We study the thermal noise of the junction by measuring the fluctuations of extracellular voltage with a low-noise transistor. We find a spectral power density of 5 x 10(-14) V2/Hz and interpret it as Nyquist noise of the cell-chip junction with a resistance of 3 MOhm. The thermal noise allows us to elucidate the properties of cell adhesion and it sets a thermodynamical limit for the signal-to-noise ratio of neuroelectronic interfacing.
Voelker
Moritz
M
Department of Membrane and Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, D-82152 Martinsried/München, Germany.
Fromherz
Peter
P
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D012825:Silicon; D014173:Transistors, Electronic
D012825:Silicon