Adhesion Stabilized en Masse Intracellular Electrical Recordings from Multicellular Assemblies

Nanotechnology and Cancer Bioelectricity: Bridging the Gap Between Biology and Translational Medicine

Bioelectricity is the electrical activity that occurs within living cells and tissues. This activity is critical for regulating homeostatic cellular function and communication, and disruptions of the same can lead to a variety of conditions, including cancer. Cancer cells are known to exhibit abnormal electrical properties compared to their healthy counterparts, and this has driven researchers to investigate the potential of harnessing bioelectricity as a tool in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. In parallel, bioelectricity represents one of the means to gain fundamental insights on how electrical signals and charges play a role in cancer insurgence, growth, and progression. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the literature in this field, addressing the fundamentals of bioelectricity in single cancer cells, cancer cell cohorts, and cancerous tissues. The emerging role of bioelectricity in cancer proliferation and metastasis is introduced. Based on the acknowledgement that this biological information is still hard to access due to the existing gap between biological findings and translational medicine, the latest advancements in the field of nanotechnologies for cellular electrophysiology are examined, as well as the most recent developments in micro- and nano-devices for cancer diagnostics and therapy targeting bioelectricity.

High-Aspect-Ratio Nanoelectrodes Enable Long-Term Recordings of Neuronal Signals with Subthreshold Resolution

The further development of neurochips requires high-density and high-resolution recordings that also allow neuronal signals to be observed over a long period of time. Expanding fields of network neuroscience and neuromorphic engineering demand the multiparallel and direct estimations of synaptic weights, and the key objective is to construct a device that also records subthreshold events. Recently, 3D nanostructures with a high aspect ratio have become a particularly suitable interface between neurons and electronic devices, since the excellent mechanical coupling to the neuronal cell membrane allows very high signal-to-noise ratio recordings. In the light of an increasing demand for a stable, noninvasive and long-term recording at subthreshold resolution, a combination of vertical nanostraws with nanocavities is presented. These structures provide a spontaneous tight coupling with rat cortical neurons, resulting in high amplitude sensitivity and postsynaptic resolution capability, as directly confirmed by combined patch-clamp and microelectrode array measurements.

Cellular nanointerface of vertical nanostructure arrays and its applications

Vertically standing nanostructures with various morphologies have been developed with the emergence of the micro-/nanofabrication technology. When cells are cultured on them, various bio-nano interfaces between cells and vertical nanostructures would impact the cellular activities, depending on the shape, density, and height of nanostructures. Many cellular pathway activation processes involving a series of intracellular molecules (proteins, RNA, DNA, enzymes, etc.) would be triggered by the cell morphological changes induced by nanostructures, affecting the cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, immune activation, cell adhesion, cell migration, and other behaviors. In addition, the highly localized cellular nanointerface enhances coupled stimulation on cells. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of the cellular nanointerface can not only provide innovative tools for regulating specific cell functions but also offers new aspects to understand the fundamental cellular activities that could facilitate the precise monitoring and treatment of diseases in the future. This review mainly describes the fabrication technology of vertical nanostructures, analyzing the formation of cellular nanointerfaces and the effects of cellular nanointerfaces on cells' fates and functions. At last, the applications of cellular nanointerfaces based on various nanostructures are summarized.

A universal, multimodal cell-based biosensing platform for optimal intracellular action potential recording

Intracellular recording of action potentials is an essential mean for studying disease mechanisms, and for electrophysiological studies, particularly in excitable cells as cardiomyocytes or neurons. Current strategies to obtain intracellular recordings include three-dimensional (3D) nanoelectrodes that can effectively penetrate the cell membrane and achieve high-quality intracellular recordings in a minimally invasive manner, or transient electroporation of the membrane that can yield temporary intracellular access. However, the former strategy requires a complicated and costly fabrication process, and the latter strategy suffers from high dependency on the method of application of electroporation, yielding inconsistent, suboptimal recordings. These factors hinder the high throughput use of these strategies in electrophysiological studies. In this work, we propose an advanced cell-based biosensing platform that relies on electroporation to produce consistent, high-quality intracellular recordings. The suggested universal system can be integrated with any electrode array, and it enables tunable electroporation with controllable pulse parameters, while the recorded potentials can be analyzed in real time to provide instantaneous feedback on the electroporation effectiveness. This integrated system enables the user to perform electroporation, record and assess the obtained signals in a facile manner, to ultimately achieve stable, reliable, intracellular recording. Moreover, the proposed platform relies on microelectrode arrays which are suited for large-scale production, and additional modules that are low-cost. Using this platform, we demonstrate the tuning of electroporation pulse width, pulse number, and amplitude, to achieve effective electroporation and high-quality intracellular recordings. This integrated platform has the potential to enable larger scale, repeatable, convenient, and low-cost electrophysiological studies.

Synthetic virions reveal fatty acid-coupled adaptive immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein

SARS-CoV-2 infection is a major global public health concern with incompletely understood pathogenesis. The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein comprises a highly conserved free fatty acid binding pocket (FABP) with unknown function and evolutionary selection advantage^1,2. Deciphering FABP impact on COVID-19 progression is challenged by the heterogenous nature and large molecular variability of live virus. Here we create synthetic minimal virions (MiniVs) of wild-type and mutant SARS-CoV-2 with precise molecular composition and programmable complexity by bottom-up assembly. MiniV-based systematic assessment of S free fatty acid (FFA) binding reveals that FABP functions as an allosteric regulatory site enabling adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 immunogenicity to inflammation states via binding of pro-inflammatory FFAs. This is achieved by regulation of the S open-to-close equilibrium and the exposure of both, the receptor binding domain (RBD) and the SARS-CoV-2 RGD motif that is responsible for integrin co-receptor engagement. We find that the FDA-approved drugs vitamin K and dexamethasone modulate S-based cell binding in an FABP-like manner. In inflammatory FFA environments, neutralizing immunoglobulins from human convalescent COVID-19 donors lose neutralization activity. Empowered by our MiniV technology, we suggest a conserved mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 dynamically couples its immunogenicity to the host immune response.

Staufer et al. provide a protocol for preparation of synthetic minimal virions (MiniV) of SARS-CoV-2, mimicking viral structure and allowing for precise investigation of receptor binding mechanism. They find that the highly conserved free fatty acid binding pocket (FABP) can function as an allosteric regulator, enabling adaptation of immunogenicity via binding of proinflammatory free fatty acids and mediating the spike open to-closed equilibrium.

Building a community to engineer synthetic cells and organelles from the bottom-up

Employing concepts from physics, chemistry and bioengineering, 'learning-by-building' approaches are becoming increasingly popular in the life sciences, especially with researchers who are attempting to engineer cellular life from scratch. The SynCell2020/21 conference brought together researchers from different disciplines to highlight progress in this field, including areas where synthetic cells are having socioeconomic and technological impact. Conference participants also identified the challenges involved in designing, manipulating and creating synthetic cells with hierarchical organization and function. A key conclusion is the need to build an international and interdisciplinary research community through enhanced communication, resource-sharing, and educational initiatives.

Intracellular Recording of Cardiomyocytes by Integrated Electrical Signal Recording and Electrical Pulse Regulating System

The electrophysiological signal can reflect the basic activity of cardiomyocytes, which is often used to study the working mechanism of heart. Intracellular recording is a powerful technique for studying transmembrane potential, proving a favorable strategy for electrophysiological research. To obtain high-quality and high-throughput intracellular electrical signals, an integrated electrical signal recording and electrical pulse regulating system based on nanopatterned microelectrode array (NPMEA) is developed in this work. Due to the large impedance of the electrode, a high-input impedance preamplifier is required. The high-frequency noise of the circuit and the baseline drift of the sensor are suppressed by a band-pass filter. After amplifying the signal, the data acquisition card (DAQ) is used to collect the signal. Meanwhile, the DAQ is utilized to generate pulses, achieving the electroporation of cells by NPMEA. Each channel uses a voltage follower to improve the pulse driving ability and isolates each electrode. The corresponding recording control software based on LabVIEW is developed to control the DAQ to collect, display and record electrical signals, and generate pulses. This integrated system can achieve high-throughput detection of intracellular electrical signals and provide a reliable recording tool for cell electro-physiological investigation.

Tutorial: using nanoneedles for intracellular delivery

Intracellular delivery of advanced therapeutics, including biologicals and supramolecular agents, is complex because of the natural biological barriers that have evolved to protect the cell. Efficient delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids, proteins, peptides and nanoparticles is crucial for clinical adoption of emerging technologies that can benefit disease treatment through gene and cell therapy. Nanoneedles are arrays of vertical high-aspect-ratio nanostructures that can precisely manipulate complex processes at the cell interface, enabling effective intracellular delivery. This emerging technology has already enabled the development of efficient and non-destructive routes for direct access to intracellular environments and delivery of cell-impermeant payloads. However, successful implementation of this technology requires knowledge of several scientific fields, making it complex to access and adopt by researchers who are not directly involved in developing nanoneedle platforms. This presents an obstacle to the widespread adoption of nanoneedle technologies for drug delivery. This tutorial aims to equip researchers with the knowledge required to develop a nanoinjection workflow. It discusses the selection of nanoneedle devices, approaches for cargo loading and strategies for interfacing to biological systems and summarises an array of bioassays that can be used to evaluate the efficacy of intracellular delivery.

Advances in Cell-Conductive Polymer Biointerfaces and Role of the Plasma Membrane

The plasma membrane (PM) is often described as a wall, a physical barrier separating the cell cytoplasm from the extracellular matrix (ECM). Yet, this wall is a highly dynamic structure that can stretch, bend, and bud, allowing cells to respond and adapt to their surrounding environment. Inspired by shapes and geometries found in the biological world and exploiting the intrinsic properties of conductive polymers (CPs), several biomimetic strategies based on substrate dimensionality have been tailored in order to optimize the cell–chip coupling. Furthermore, device biofunctionalization through the use of ECM proteins or lipid bilayers have proven successful approaches to further maximize interfacial interactions. As the bio-electronic field aims at narrowing the gap between the electronic and the biological world, the possibility of effectively disguising conductive materials to “trick” cells to recognize artificial devices as part of their biological environment is a promising approach on the road to the seamless platform integration with cells.

In-Cell Nanoelectronics: Opening the Door to Intracellular Electrophysiology

Establishing a reliable electrophysiological recording platform is crucial for cardiology and neuroscience research. Noninvasive and label-free planar multitransistors and multielectrode arrays are conducive to perform the large-scale cellular electrical activity recordings, but the signal attenuation limits these extracellular devices to record subthreshold activities. In recent decade, in-cell nanoelectronics have been rapidly developed to open the door to intracellular electrophysiology. With the unique three-dimensional nanotopography and advanced penetration strategies, high-throughput and high-fidelity action potential like signal recordings is expected to be realized. This review summarizes in-cell nanoelectronics from versatile nano-biointerfaces, penetration strategies, active/passive nanodevices, systematically analyses the applications in electrogenic cells and especially evaluates the influence of nanodevices on the high-quality intracellular electrophysiological signals. Further, the opportunities, challenges and broad prospects of in-cell nanoelectronics are prospected, expecting to promote the development of in-cell electrophysiological platforms to meet the demand of theoretical investigation and clinical application.

Bioelectric signaling: Reprogrammable circuits underlying embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer

How are individual cell behaviors coordinated toward invariant large-scale anatomical outcomes in development and regeneration despite unpredictable perturbations? Endogenous distributions of membrane potentials, produced by ion channels and gap junctions, are present across all tissues. These bioelectrical networks process morphogenetic information that controls gene expression, enabling cell collectives to make decisions about large-scale growth and form. Recent progress in the analysis and computational modeling of developmental bioelectric circuits and channelopathies reveals how cellular collectives cooperate toward organ-level structural order. These advances suggest a roadmap for exploiting bioelectric signaling for interventions addressing developmental disorders, regenerative medicine, cancer reprogramming, and synthetic bioengineering.

Nanoneedle-Based Materials for Intracellular Studies

Nanoneedles, defined as high aspect ratio structures with tip diameters of 5 to approximately 500 nm, are uniquely able to interface with the interior of living cells. Their nanoscale dimensions mean that they are able to penetrate the plasma membrane with minimal disruption of normal cellular functions, allowing researchers to probe the intracellular space and deliver or extract material from individual cells. In the last decade, a variety of strategies have been developed using nanoneedles, either singly or as arrays, to investigate the biology of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. These include hollow nanoneedles for soluble probe delivery, nanocapillaries for single-cell biopsy, nano-AFM for direct physical measurements of cytosolic proteins, and a wide range of fluorescent and electrochemical nanosensors for analyte detection. Nanofabrication has improved to the point that nanobiosensors can detect individual vesicles inside the cytoplasm, delineate tumor margins based on intracellular enzyme activity, and measure changes in cell metabolism almost in real time. While most of these applications are currently in the proof-of-concept stage, nanoneedle technology is poised to offer cancer biologists a powerful new set of tools for probing cells with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.

Recent advances in bioelectronics chemistry

Research in bioelectronics is highly interdisciplinary, with many new developments being based on techniques from across the physical and life sciences. Advances in our understanding of the fundamental chemistry underlying the materials used in bioelectronic applications have been a crucial component of many recent discoveries. In this review, we highlight ways in which a chemistry-oriented perspective may facilitate novel and deep insights into both the fundamental scientific understanding and the design of materials, which can in turn tune the functionality and biocompatibility of bioelectronic devices. We provide an in-depth examination of several developments in the field, organized by the chemical properties of the materials. We conclude by surveying how some of the latest major topics of chemical research may be further integrated with bioelectronics.

Recent advances in bioelectronics chemistry

Research in bioelectronics is highly interdisciplinary, with many new developments being based on techniques from across the physical and life sciences. Advances in our understanding of the fundamental chemistry underlying the materials used in bioelectronic applications have been a crucial component of many recent discoveries. In this review, we highlight ways in which a chemistry-oriented perspective may facilitate novel and deep insights into both the fundamental scientific understanding and the design of materials, which can in turn tune the functionality and biocompatibility of bioelectronic devices. We provide an in-depth examination of several developments in the field, organized by the chemical properties of the materials. We conclude by surveying how some of the latest major topics of chemical research may be further integrated with bioelectronics.

Large and Externally Positioned Ligand-Coated Nanopatches Facilitate the Adhesion-Dependent Regenerative Polarization of Host Macrophages

Macrophages can associate with extracellular matrix (ECM) demonstrating nanosequenced cell-adhesive RGD ligand. In this study, we devised barcoded materials composed of RGD-coated gold and RGD-absent iron nanopatches to show various frequencies and position of RGD-coated nanopatches with similar areas of iron and RGD-gold nanopatches that maintain macroscale and nanoscale RGD density invariant. Iron patches were used for substrate coupling. Both large (low frequency) and externally positioned RGD-coated nanopatches stimulated robust attachment in macrophages, compared with small (high frequency) and internally positioned RGD-coated nanopatches, respectively, which mediate their regenerative/anti-inflammatory M2 polarization. The nanobarcodes exhibited stability in vivo. We shed light into designing ligand-engineered nanostructures in an external position to facilitate host cell attachment, thereby eliciting regenerative host responses.

Efficient Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Cell-Nanostructure Interfacial Interactions

Engineered nano-bio interfaces driven by tunable vertically configured nanostructures have recently emerged as a powerful tool for cellular manipulations and interrogations. Yet the interplay between substrate topography and cellular behavior is highly complex and not fully understood. A new experimental design is proposed that enables generation of ultrathin sections (lamellae) of cell-nanostructure imprints with minimal artifacts. We demonstrate the potential of such lamellae for efficient transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization of interfacial interactions between adherent cells and vertically aligned Si nanostructures. This approach will advance understanding of cellular responses to extracellular biophysical and biochemical cues-which is likely to facilitate the design of improved cellular manipulation technologies.

Bottom-Up Assembly of Functional Intracellular Synthetic Organelles by Droplet-Based Microfluidics

Bottom-up synthetic biology has directed most efforts toward the construction of artificial compartmentalized systems that recreate living cell functions in their mechanical, morphological, or metabolic characteristics. However, bottom-up synthetic biology also offers great potential to study subcellular structures like organelles. Because of their intricate and complex structure, these key elements of eukaryotic life forms remain poorly understood. Here, the controlled assembly of lipid enclosed, organelle-like architectures is explored by droplet-based microfluidics. Three types of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs)-based synthetic organelles (SOs) functioning within natural living cells are procedured: (A) synthetic peroxisomes supporting cellular stress-management, mimicking an organelle innate to the host cell by using analogous enzymatic modules; (B) synthetic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as intracellular light-responsive calcium stores involved in intercellular calcium signalling, mimicking an organelle innate to the host cell but utilizing a fundamentally different mechanism; and (C) synthetic magnetosomes providing eukaryotic cells with a magnetotactic sense, mimicking an organelle that is not natural to the host cell but transplanting its functionality from other branches of the phylogenetic tree. Microfluidic assembly of functional SOs paves the way for high-throughput generation of versatile intracellular structures implantable into living cells. This in-droplet SO design may support or expand cellular functionalities in translational nanomedicine.

In Situ Magnetic Control of Macroscale Nanoligand Density Regulates the Adhesion and Differentiation of Stem Cells

Developing materials with remote controllability of macroscale ligand presentation can mimic extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling to regulate cellular adhesion in vivo. Herein, we designed charged mobile nanoligands with superparamagnetic nanomaterials amine-functionalized and conjugated with polyethylene glycol linker and negatively charged RGD ligand. We coupled negatively a charged nanoligand to a positively charged substrate by optimizing electrostatic interactions to allow reversible planar movement. We demonstrate the imaging of both macroscale and in situ nanoscale nanoligand movement by magnetically attracting charged nanoligand to manipulate macroscale ligand density. We show that in situ magnetic control of attracting charged nanoligand facilitates stem cell adhesion, both in vitro and in vivo, with reversible control. Furthermore, we unravel that in situ magnetic attraction of charged nanoligand stimulates mechanosensing-mediated differentiation of stem cells. This remote controllability of ECM-mimicking reversible ligand variations is promising for regulating diverse reparative cellular processes in vivo.

Bioelectrical Coupling of Single-Cell States in Multicellular Systems

The spatiotemporal distributions of signaling ions and molecules that modulate biochemical pathways in nonexcitable cells are influenced by multicellular electric potentials. These potentials act as distributed controllers encoding instructive spatial patterns in development and regeneration. We review experimental facts and discuss recent bioelectrical models that provide new physical insights and complement biochemical approaches. Single-cell states are modulated at the multicellular level because of the coupling between neighboring cells, thus allowing memories and multicellular patterns. The model is based on (i) two generic voltage-gated ion channels that promote the polarized and depolarized cell states, (ii) a feedback mechanism for the transcriptional and bioelectrical regulations, and (iii) voltage-gated intercellular conductances that allow a dynamic intercellular connectivity. The simulations provide steady-state and oscillatory multicellular states that help explain aspects of development and guide experimental procedures attempting to establish instructive bioelectrical patterns based on electric potentials and currents to regulate cell behavior and morphogenesis.

High-Aspect-Ratio Nanostructured Surfaces as Biological Metamaterials

Materials patterned with high-aspect-ratio nanostructures have features on similar length scales to cellular components. These surfaces are an extreme topography on the cellular level and have become useful tools for perturbing and sensing the cellular environment. Motivation comes from the ability of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures to deliver cargoes into cells and tissues, access the intracellular environment, and control cell behavior. These structures directly perturb cells' ability to sense and respond to external forces, influencing cell fate, and enabling new mechanistic studies. Through careful design of their nanoscale structure, these systems act as biological metamaterials, eliciting unusual biological responses. While predominantly used to interface eukaryotic cells, there is growing interest in nonanimal and prokaryotic cell interfacing. Both experimental and theoretical studies have attempted to develop a mechanistic understanding for the observed behaviors, predominantly focusing on the cell-nanostructure interface. This review considers how high-aspect-ratio nanostructured surfaces are used to both stimulate and sense biological systems.

Nanoelectrode-mediated single neuron activation

Elucidating cellular dynamics at the level of a single neuron and its associated role within neuronal circuits is essential for interpreting the complex nature of the brain. To investigate the operation of neural activity within its network, it is necessary to precisely manipulate the activation of each neuron and verify its propagation path via the synaptic connection. In this study, by exploiting the intrinsic physical and electrical advantages of a nanoelectrode, a vertical nanowire multi electrode array (VNMEA) is developed as a neuronal activation platform presenting the spatially confined effect on the intracellular space of individual cells. VNMEA makes a distinct difference between the interior and exterior cell potential and the current density, deriving the superior effects on activating Ca2+ responses compared to extracellular methods under the same conditions, with about 2.9-fold higher amplitude of Ca2+ elevation and a 2.6-fold faster recovery rate. Moreover, the synchronized propagation of evoked activities is shown in connected neurons implying cell-to-cell communications following the intracellular stimulation. The simulation and experimental consequences prove the outstanding property of temporal/spatial confinement of VNMEA-mediated intracellular stimulation to activate a single neuron and show its potential in localizing spiking neurons within neuronal populations, which may be utilized to reveal the connection and activation modalities of neural networks.

Microelectrochemical cell arrays for whole-cell currents recording through ion channel proteins based on trans-electroporation approach

High electrostability and long life-time of planar chip technology are crucial for electrophysiological measurements such as ionic current recording through ion channel proteins embedded in biological cell membrane. In this paper, we propose a novel planar microchip integrated with microelectrochemical cell array toward to a feasible solution for ion channel screening with high resolution and long life-time. In order to reduce the interference from the leakage currents, a synthetic lipid bilayer is applied to form a high sealing resistance. The whole-cell electrical access can be constructed via electroporating the lipid bilayer in close proximity to the cell membrane. Parameters of electroporation including amplitude and time scale are firstly optimized by using parallel electroporation to the lipid bilayers. In this approach, individual cells can be trapped to the target positions by applying dielectrophoresis (DEP) manipulation. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is employed with low concentration to facilitate the closed contact between the cells and the lipid bilayer to increase the efficiency of the whole-cell mode construction. Through this chip based method, stable current recordings through inward rectifier potassium (Kir) ion channels embedded in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) cell membrane are achieved with high electrical sealing resistance (over 1 GΩ). In addition, without need for complex fluidic connections, this method allows for an easy operation and further miniaturization of the measuring system.

Membrane Poration Mechanisms at the Cell-Nanostructure Interface

3D vertical nanostructures have become one of the most significant methods for interfacing cells and the nanoscale and for accessing significant intracellular functionalities such as membrane potential. As this intracellular access can be induced by means of diverse cellular membrane poration mechanisms, it is important to investigate in detail the cell condition after membrane rupture for assessing the real effects of the poration techniques on the biological environment. Indeed, differences of the membrane dynamics and reshaping have not been observed yet when the membrane-nanostructure system is locally perturbed by, for instance, diverse membrane breakage events. In this work, new insights are provided into the membrane dynamics in case of two different poration approaches, optoacoustic- and electro-poration, both mediated by the same 3D nanostructures. The experimental results offer a detailed overview on the different poration processes in terms of electrical recordings and membrane conformation.

From non-excitable single-cell to multicellular bioelectrical states supported by ion channels and gap junction proteins: Electrical potentials as distributed controllers

Endogenous bioelectric patterns within tissues are an important driver of morphogenesis and a tractable component of a number of disease states. Developing system-level understanding of the dynamics by which non-neural bioelectric circuits regulate complex downstream cascades is a key step towards both, an evolutionary understanding of ion channel genes, and novel strategies in regenerative medicine. An important capability gap is deriving rational modulation strategies targeting individual cells' bioelectric states to achieve global (tissue- or organ-level) outcomes. Here, we develop an ion channel-based model that describes multicellular states on the basis of spatio-temporal patterns of electrical potentials in aggregates of non-excitable cells. The model is of biological interest because modern techniques allow to associate bioelectrical signals with specific ion channel proteins in the cell membrane that are central to embryogenesis, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. As a complementary approach to the usual biochemical description, we have studied four biophysical questions: (i) how can single-cell bioelectrical states be established; (ii) how can a change in the cell potential caused by a transient perturbation of the cell state be maintained after the stimulus is gone (bioelectrical memory); (iii) how can a single-cell contribute to the control of multicellular ensembles based on the spatio-temporal pattern of electrical potentials; and (iv) how can oscillatory patterns arise from the single-cell bioelectrical dynamics. Experimentally, endogenous bioelectric gradients have emerged as instructive agents for morphogenetic processes. In this context, the simulations can guide new procedures that may allow a distributed control of the multicellular ensemble.

Synchronization of Bioelectric Oscillations in Networks of Nonexcitable Cells: From Single-Cell to Multicellular States

Biological networks use collective oscillations for information processing tasks. In particular, oscillatory membrane potentials have been observed in nonexcitable cells and bacterial communities where specific ion channel proteins contribute to the bioelectric coordination of large populations. We aim at describing theoretically the oscillatory spatiotemporal patterns that emerge at the multicellular level from the single-cell bioelectric dynamics. To this end, we focus on two key questions: (i) What single-cell properties are relevant to multicellular behavior? (ii) What properties defined at the multicellular level can allow an external control of the bioelectric dynamics? In particular, we explore the interplay between transcriptional and translational dynamics and membrane potential dynamics in a model multicellular ensemble, describe the spatiotemporal patterns that arise when the average electric potential allows groups of cells to act as a coordinated multicellular patch, and characterize the resulting synchronization phenomena. The simulations concern bioelectric networks and collective communication across different scales based on oscillatory and synchronization phenomena, thus shedding light on the physiological dynamics of a wide range of endogenous contexts across embryogenesis and regeneration.