On-chip, multisite extracellular and intracellular recordings from primary cultured skeletal myotubes.

In contrast to the extensive use of microelectrode array (MEA) technology in electrophysiological studies of cultured neurons and cardiac muscles, the vast field of skeletal muscle research has yet to adopt the technology. Here we demonstrate an empowering MEA technology for high quality, multisite, long-term electrophysiological recordings from cultured skeletal myotubes. Individual rat skeletal myotubes cultured on micrometer sized gold mushroom-shaped microelectrode (gMμE) based MEA tightly engulf the gMμEs, forming a high seal resistance between the myotubes and the gMμEs.

Multisite electrophysiological recordings by self-assembled loose-patch-like junctions between cultured hippocampal neurons and mushroom-shaped microelectrodes.

Substrate integrated planar microelectrode arrays is the "gold standard" method for millisecond-resolution, long-term, large-scale, cell-noninvasive electrophysiological recordings from mammalian neuronal networks. Nevertheless, these devices suffer from drawbacks that are solved by spike-detecting, spike-sorting and signal-averaging techniques which rely on estimated parameters that require user supervision to correct errors, merge clusters and remove outliers. Here we show that primary rat hippocampal neurons grown on micrometer sized gold mushroom-shaped microelectrodes (gMμE) functionalized simply by poly-ethylene-imine/laminin undergo self-assembly processes to form loose patch-like hybrid structures.

A feasibility study of multi-site,intracellular recordings from mammalian neurons by extracellular gold mushroom-shaped microelectrodes.

The development of multi-electrode array platforms for large scale recording of neurons is at the forefront of neuro-engineering research efforts. Recently we demonstrated, at the proof-of-concept level, a breakthrough neuron-microelectrode interface in which cultured Aplysia neurons tightly engulf gold mushroom-shaped microelectrodes (gMμEs). While maintaining their extracellular position, the gMμEs record synaptic- and action-potentials with characteristic features of intracellular recordings.

Nanocrystalline diamond surfaces for adhesion and growth of primary neurons, conflicting results and rational explanation.

Using a variety of proliferating cell types, it was shown that the surface of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) provides a permissive substrate for cell adhesion and development without the need of complex chemical functionalization prior to cell seeding. In an extensive series of experiments we found that, unlike proliferating cells, post-mitotic primary neurons do not adhere to bare NCD surfaces when cultured in defined medium. These observations raise questions on the potential use of bare NCD as an interfacing layer for neuronal devices.