Bio-hybrid interfaces to study neuromorphic functionalities: New multidisciplinary evidences of cell viability on poly(anyline) (PANI), a semiconductor polymer with memristive properties.
The interfacing of artificial devices with biological systems is a challenging field that crosses several disciplines ranging from fundamental research (biophysical chemistry, neurobiology, material and surface science) to frontier technological application (nanotechnology, bioelectronics). The memristor is the fourth fundamental circuit element, whose electrical properties favor applications in signal processing, neural networks, and brain-computer interactions and it represents a new frontier for technological applications in many fields including the nanotechnologies, bioelectronics and the biosensors. Using multidisciplinary approaches, covering surface science, cell biology and electrophysiology, we successfully implemented a living bio-hybrid system constituted by cells adhering to films of poly(aniline) (PANI), a semiconductor polymer having memristive properties assembled with polyelectrolytes. Here we tested whether the PANI devices could support survivor, adhesion and differentiation of several cell lines, including the neuron-like SHSY5Y cells. Moreover, we performed electrophysiology on these cells showing that the biophysical properties are retained with differences occurring in the recorded ion currents. Taken together, the cell viability here reported is the key requirement to design and develop a reliable functional memristor-based bio-hybrid able to mimic neuronal activity and plasticity.
Istituto di Biofisica, Unità di Trento, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBF-CNR), Via alla Cascata 56/C 18, 38123 Trento, Italy; Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), LaBSSAH, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Leon J
LJ
Juarez-Hernandez
Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Trento, Via delle Regole 101, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Nicola
N
Cornella
Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), LaBSSAH, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Laura
L
Pasquardini
Istituto dei Materiali per l'Elettronica ed il Magnetismo, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
Silvia
S
Battistoni
Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Trento, Via delle Regole 101, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Laura
L
Vidalino
Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), LaBSSAH, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Lia
L
Vanzetti
Istituto Officina dei Materiali, Unità di Perugia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IOM-CNR), Via A. Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
Silvia
S
Caponi
Istituto di Biofisica, Unità di Trento, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBF-CNR), Via alla Cascata 56/C 18, 38123 Trento, Italy; Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), LaBSSAH, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Mauro
M
Dalla Serra
Istituto dei Materiali per l'Elettronica ed il Magnetismo, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
Salvatore
S
Iannotta
Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), LaBSSAH, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Cecilia
C
Pederzolli
Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Trento, Via delle Regole 101, 38123 Trento, Italy.
Paolo
P
Macchi
Istituto di Biofisica, Unità di Trento, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBF-CNR), Via alla Cascata 56/C 18, 38123 Trento, Italy; Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), LaBSSAH, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, Italy. Electronic address: carlo.musio@cnr.it.
Carlo
C
Musio
D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002470:Cell Survival; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D012666:Semiconductors; D013499:Surface Properties
D000814:Aniline Compounds; D004573:Electrolytes; C416807:polyaniline
Bio-hybrid neural interfaces; Cell viability; Immunofluorescence; Patch clamp; Polyaniline (PANI) films; Surface analysis