1
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Yuste R. Breaking the neural code of a cnidarian: Learning principles of neuroscience from the "vulgar" Hydra. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102869. [PMID: 38552547 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The cnidarian Hydra vulgaris is a small polyp with a nervous system of few hundred neurons belonging to a dozen cell types, organized in two nerve nets without cephalization or ganglia. Using this simple neural "chassis", Hydra can maintain a stable repertoire of behaviors, even performing complex fixed-action patterns, such as somersaulting and feeding. The ability to image the activity of Hydra's entire neural and muscle tissue has revealed that Hydra's nerve nets are divided into coactive ensembles of neurons, associated with specific movements. These ensembles can be activated by neuropeptides and interact using cross-inhibition circuits and implement integrate-to-threshold algorithms. In addition, Hydra's nervous system can self-assemble from dissociated cells in a stepwise modular architecture. Studies of Hydra and other cnidarians could enable the systematic deciphering of the neural basis of its behavior and help provide perspective on basic principles of neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Yuste
- Neurotechnology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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2
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Dong K, Liu WC, Su Y, Lyu Y, Huang H, Zheng N, Rogers JA, Nan K. Scalable Electrophysiology of Millimeter-Scale Animals with Electrode Devices. BME FRONTIERS 2023; 4:0034. [PMID: 38435343 PMCID: PMC10907027 DOI: 10.34133/bmef.0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Millimeter-scale animals such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila larvae, zebrafish, and bees serve as powerful model organisms in the fields of neurobiology and neuroethology. Various methods exist for recording large-scale electrophysiological signals from these animals. Existing approaches often lack, however, real-time, uninterrupted investigations due to their rigid constructs, geometric constraints, and mechanical mismatch in integration with soft organisms. The recent research establishes the foundations for 3-dimensional flexible bioelectronic interfaces that incorporate microfabricated components and nanoelectronic function with adjustable mechanical properties and multidimensional variability, offering unique capabilities for chronic, stable interrogation and stimulation of millimeter-scale animals and miniature tissue constructs. This review summarizes the most advanced technologies for electrophysiological studies, based on methods of 3-dimensional flexible bioelectronics. A concluding section addresses the challenges of these devices in achieving freestanding, robust, and multifunctional biointerfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kairu Dong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Wen-Che Liu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuyan Su
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yidan Lyu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hao Huang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Nenggan Zheng
- Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- College of Computer Science and Technology,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- CCAI by MOE and Zhejiang Provincial Government (ZJU), Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - John A. Rogers
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kewang Nan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, Jinhua 321299, China
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3
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Yang A, Lin X, Liu Z, Duan X, Yuan Y, Zhang J, Liang Q, Ji X, Sun N, Yu H, He W, Zhu L, Xu B, Lin X. Worm Generator: A System for High-Throughput in Vivo Screening. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:1280-1288. [PMID: 36719250 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale screening of molecules in organisms requires high-throughput and cost-effective evaluating tools during preclinical development. Here, a novel in vivo screening strategy combining hierarchically structured biohybrid triboelectric nanogenerators (HB-TENGs) arrays with computational bioinformatics analysis for high-throughput pharmacological evaluation using Caenorhabditis elegans is described. Unlike the traditional methods for behavioral monitoring of the animals, which are laborious and costly, HB-TENGs with micropillars are designed to efficiently convert animals' behaviors into friction deformation and result in a contact-separation motion between two triboelectric layers to generate electrical outputs. The triboelectric signals are recorded and extracted to various bioinformation for each screened compound. Moreover, the information-rich electrical readouts are successfully demonstrated to be sufficient to predict a drug's identity by multiple-Gaussian-kernels-based machine learning methods. This proposed strategy can be readily applied to various fields and is especially useful in in vivo explorations to accelerate the identification of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Xiang Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Zijian Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Xin Duan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Yurou Yuan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Jiaxuan Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Qilin Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Xianglin Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Nannan Sun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China
| | - Huajun Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China
| | - Weiwei He
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Lili Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Bingzhe Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Xudong Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
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4
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Aubry G, Milisavljevic M, Lu H. Automated and Dynamic Control of Chemical Content in Droplets for Scalable Screens of Small Animals. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2200319. [PMID: 35229457 PMCID: PMC9050880 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202200319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Screening functional phenotypes in small animals is important for genetics and drug discovery. Multiphase microfluidics has great potential for enhancing throughput but has been hampered by inefficient animal encapsulation and limited control over the animal's environment in droplets. Here, a highly efficient single-animal encapsulation unit, a liquid exchanger system for controlling the droplet chemical environment dynamically, and an automation scheme for the programming and robust execution of complex protocols are demonstrated. By careful use of interfacial forces, the liquid exchanger unit allows for adding and removing chemicals from a droplet and, therefore, generating chemical gradients inaccessible in previous multiphase systems. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as an example, it is demonstrated that these advances can serve to analyze dynamic phenotyping, such as behavior and neuronal activity, perform forward genetic screen, and are scalable to manipulate animals of different sizes. This platform paves the way for large-scale screens of complex dynamic phenotypes in small animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Aubry
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Marija Milisavljevic
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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5
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Jiang Y, Zhang Z, Wang YX, Li D, Coen CT, Hwaun E, Chen G, Wu HC, Zhong D, Niu S, Wang W, Saberi A, Lai JC, Wu Y, Wang Y, Trotsyuk AA, Loh KY, Shih CC, Xu W, Liang K, Zhang K, Bai Y, Gurusankar G, Hu W, Jia W, Cheng Z, Dauskardt RH, Gurtner GC, Tok JBH, Deisseroth K, Soltesz I, Bao Z. Topological supramolecular network enabled high-conductivity, stretchable organic bioelectronics. Science 2022; 375:1411-1417. [PMID: 35324282 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj7564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically stretchable bioelectronic devices based on soft and conducting organic materials have been regarded as the ideal interface for seamless and biocompatible integration with the human body. A remaining challenge is to combine high mechanical robustness with good electrical conduction, especially when patterned at small feature sizes. We develop a molecular engineering strategy based on a topological supramolecular network, which allows for the decoupling of competing effects from multiple molecular building blocks to meet complex requirements. We obtained simultaneously high conductivity and crack-onset strain in a physiological environment, with direct photopatternability down to the cellular scale. We further collected stable electromyography signals on soft and malleable octopus and performed localized neuromodulation down to single-nucleus precision for controlling organ-specific activities through the delicate brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanwen Jiang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Zhitao Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yi-Xuan Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Deling Li
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | | | - Ernie Hwaun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Gan Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hung-Chin Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Donglai Zhong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Simiao Niu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Weichen Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aref Saberi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jian-Cheng Lai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yilei Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Artem A Trotsyuk
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kang Yong Loh
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chien-Chung Shih
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Wenhui Xu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kui Liang
- BOE Technology Center, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Kailiang Zhang
- BOE Technology Center, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Yihong Bai
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | | | - Wenping Hu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Wang Jia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Zhen Cheng
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Reinhold H Dauskardt
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey B-H Tok
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ivan Soltesz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Zhenan Bao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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6
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Gao L, Wang J, Zhao Y, Li H, Liu M, Ding J, Tian H, Guan S, Fang Y. Free-Standing Nanofilm Electrode Arrays for Long-Term Stable Neural Interfacings. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2107343. [PMID: 34796566 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202107343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Flexible neural electrodes integrated on micrometer-thick polymer substrates offer important opportunities for improving the stability of neuronal activity recordings during cognitive processes. However, the bending stiffness of micrometer-thick polymer substrates is typically two orders of magnitude higher than that of nanofilm electrodes, making it a limiting factor in electrode-tissue interfacings. Here, this limitation is overcome by developing self-assembled nanofilm electrode arrays (NEAs) that consist of high-density, free-standing gold nanofilm electrodes. Chronically implanted NEAs can form intimate and innervated interfaces with neural tissue, enabling stable neuronal activity recordings across multiple brain regions over several months. As an application example, the activities of the same neuronal populations are tracked across odor discrimination reversal learning and it is illustrated how dorsal striatal neurons represent and update stimulus-outcome associations across multiple timescales. The results underscore the potential of free-standing nanoscale materials for interfacing biological systems over long terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Gao
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jinfen Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle Body, College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Hongbian Li
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Mengcheng Liu
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jianfei Ding
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Huihui Tian
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Shouliang Guan
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Ying Fang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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7
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Grall S, Alić I, Pavoni E, Awadein M, Fujii T, Müllegger S, Farina M, Clément N, Gramse G. Attoampere Nanoelectrochemistry. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2101253. [PMID: 34121314 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202101253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical microscopy techniques have extended the understanding of surface chemistry to the micrometer and even sub-micrometer level. However, fundamental questions related to charge transport at the solid-electrolyte interface, such as catalytic reactions or operation of individual ion channels, require improved spatial resolutions down to the nanoscale. A prerequisite for single-molecule electrochemical sensitivity is the reliable detection of a few electrons per second, that is, currents in the atto-Ampere (10-18 A) range, 1000 times below today's electrochemical microscopes. This work reports local cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements at the solid-liquid interface on ferrocene self-assembled monolayer (SAM) with sub-atto-Ampere sensitivity and simultaneous spatial resolution < 80 nm. Such sensitivity is obtained through measurements of the charging of the local faradaic interface capacitance at GHz frequencies. Nanometer-scale details of different molecular organizations with a 19% packing density difference are resolved, with an extremely small dispersion of the molecular electrical properties. This is predicted previously based on weak electrostatic interactions between neighboring redox molecules in a SAM configuration. These results open new perspectives for nano-electrochemistry like the study of quantum mechanical resonance in complex molecules and a wide range of applications from electrochemical catalysis to biophysics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Grall
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, 4020, Austria
| | - Ivan Alić
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, 4020, Austria
| | - Eleonora Pavoni
- Department of Information Engineering, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, 60131, Italy
| | - Mohamed Awadein
- Keysight Labs Austria, Keysight Technologies, Linz, 4020, Austria
| | - Teruo Fujii
- LIMMS/CNRS, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
| | - Stefan Müllegger
- Institute of Semiconductor and Solid-State Physics, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, 4040, Austria
| | - Marco Farina
- Department of Information Engineering, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, 60131, Italy
| | - Nicolas Clément
- LIMMS/CNRS, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
| | - Georg Gramse
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, 4020, Austria
- Keysight Labs Austria, Keysight Technologies, Linz, 4020, Austria
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8
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Liu Y, Liu Z, Zhao F, Tian Y. Long-Term Tracking and Dynamically Quantifying of Reversible Changes of Extracellular Ca 2+ in Multiple Brain Regions of Freely Moving Animals. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:14429-14437. [PMID: 33797152 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202102833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding physiological and pathological processes in the brain requires tracking the reversible changes in chemical signals with long-term stability. We developed a new anti-biofouling microfiber array to real-time quantify extracellular Ca2+ concentrations together with neuron activity across many regions in the mammalian brain for 60 days, in which the signal degradation was < ca. 8 %. The microarray with high tempo-spatial resolution (ca. 10 μm, ca. 1.3 s) was implanted into 7 brain regions of free-moving mice to monitor reversible changes of extracellular Ca2+ upon ischemia-reperfusion processes. The changing sequence and rate of Ca2+ in 7 brain regions were different during the stroke. ROS scavenger could protect Ca2+ influx and neuronal activity after stroke, suggesting the significant influence of ROS on Ca2+ overload and neuron death. We demonstrated this microarray is a versatile tool for investigating brain dynamic during pathological processes and drug treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuandong Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Zhichao Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Fan Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yang Tian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
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9
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Liu Y, Liu Z, Zhao F, Tian Y. Long‐Term Tracking and Dynamically Quantifying of Reversible Changes of Extracellular Ca
2+
in Multiple Brain Regions of Freely Moving Animals. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202102833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuandong Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering East China Normal University Dongchuan Road 500 Shanghai 200241 China
| | - Zhichao Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering East China Normal University Dongchuan Road 500 Shanghai 200241 China
| | - Fan Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering East China Normal University Dongchuan Road 500 Shanghai 200241 China
| | - Yang Tian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering East China Normal University Dongchuan Road 500 Shanghai 200241 China
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10
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Gao J, Liao C, Liu S, Xia T, Jiang G. Nanotechnology: new opportunities for the development of patch-clamps. J Nanobiotechnology 2021; 19:97. [PMID: 33794903 PMCID: PMC8017657 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-00841-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The patch-clamp technique is one of the best approaches to investigate neural excitability. Impressive improvements towards the automation of the patch-clamp technique have been made, but obvious limitations and hurdles still exist, such as parallelization, volume displacement in vivo, and long-term recording. Nanotechnologies have provided opportunities to overcome these hurdles by applying electrical devices on the nanoscale. Electrodes based on nanowires, nanotubes, and nanoscale field-effect transistors (FETs) are confirmed to be robust and less invasive tools for intracellular electrophysiological recording. Research on the interface between the nanoelectrode and cell membrane aims to reduce the seal conductance and further improve the recording quality. Many novel recording approaches advance the parallelization, and precision with reduced invasiveness, thus improving the overall intracellular recording system. The combination of nanotechnology and the present intracellular recording framework is a revolutionary and promising orientation, potentially becoming the next generation electrophysiological recording technique and replacing the conventional patch-clamp technique. Here, this paper reviews the recent advances in intracellular electrophysiological recording techniques using nanotechnology, focusing on the design of noninvasive and greatly parallelized recording systems based on nanoelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chunyang Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China. .,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Sijin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tian Xia
- Division of NanoMedicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Guibin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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11
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Worm-Based Microfluidic Biosensor for Real-Time Assessment of the Metastatic Status. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040873. [PMID: 33669617 PMCID: PMC7922733 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We proposed a high-throughput screening and low-cost worm-based (WB) microfluidic biosensor to monitor biochemical cues related to metastasis. Caenorhabditis elegans placed in the WB biosensor chambers and exposed to samples conditioned with cancer cell clusters reflect differences in the chemotactic preference of worms. We observed a higher distribution of worms associated with samples of higher metastatic potential (p < 0.005). A chemotaxis index (CI) was defined to standardize the quantitative assessment from the WB biosensor, where increased metastatic potential was associated with higher CI levels (6.5 ± 1.37). We found that the secreted metabolite glutamate was a chemorepellent, and lower glutamate levels were associated with samples derived from more metastatic cancer cell clusters. In conclusion, WB biosensors could evaluate patient status in real time, thereby facilitating early detection of metastases and routine management. Abstract Background: Metastasis is a complex process that affects patient treatment and survival. To routinely monitor cancer plasticity and guide treatment strategies, it is highly desired to provide information about metastatic status in real-time. Here, we proposed a worm-based (WB) microfluidic biosensor to rapidly monitor biochemical cues related to metastasis in a well-defined environment. Compared to conventional biomarker-based methods, the WB biosensor allowed high throughput screening under low cost, requiring only visual quantification of outputs; Methods: Caenorhabditis elegans were placed in the WB biosensor and exposed to samples conditioned with cancer cell clusters. The chemotactic preference of these worms was observed under discontinuous imaging to minimize the impact on physiological activity; Results: A chemotaxis index (CI) was defined to standardize the quantitative assessment from the WB biosensor, where moderate (3.24–6.5) and high (>6.5) CI levels reflected increased metastasis risk and presence of metastasis, respectively. We demonstrated that the secreted metabolite glutamate was a chemorepellent, and larger clusters associated with increased metastatic potential also enhanced CI levels; Conclusions: Overall, this study provided a proof of concept for the WB biosensors in assessing metastasis status, with the potential to evaluate patient-derived cancer clusters for routine management.
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Gonzales DL, Badhiwala KN, Avants BW, Robinson JT. Bioelectronics for Millimeter-Sized Model Organisms. iScience 2020; 23:100917. [PMID: 32114383 PMCID: PMC7049667 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in microfabrication technologies and biomaterials have enabled a growing class of electronic devices that can stimulate and record bioelectronic signals. Many of these devices have been developed for humans or vertebrate animals, where miniaturization allows for implantation within the body. There are, however, another class of bioelectronic interfaces that exploit microfabrication and nanoelectronics to record signals from tiny, millimeter-sized organisms. In these cases, rather than implanting a device inside an animal, animals themselves are loaded in large numbers into bioelectronic devices for neural circuit and behavioral interrogation. These scalable interfaces provide platforms to develop new therapeutics as well as better understand basic principles of bioelectronic communication, neuroscience, and behavior. Here we review recent progress in these bioelectronic technologies and describe how they can complement on-chip optical, mechanical, and chemical interrogation methods to achieve high-throughput, multimodal studies of millimeter-sized small animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Gonzales
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Krishna N Badhiwala
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Benjamin W Avants
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Jacob T Robinson
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA; Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Higgins SG, Becce M, Belessiotis-Richards A, Seong H, Sero JE, Stevens MM. High-Aspect-Ratio Nanostructured Surfaces as Biological Metamaterials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1903862. [PMID: 31944430 PMCID: PMC7610849 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201903862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart G. Higgins
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | | | - Hyejeong Seong
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Julia E. Sero
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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14
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Gonzales DL, Zhou J, Fan B, Robinson JT. A microfluidic-induced C. elegans sleep state. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5035. [PMID: 31695031 PMCID: PMC6834590 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13008-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
An important feature of animal behavior is the ability to switch rapidly between activity states, however, how the brain regulates these spontaneous transitions based on the animal's perceived environment is not well understood. Here we show a C. elegans sleep-like state on a scalable platform that enables simultaneous control of multiple environmental factors including temperature, mechanical stress, and food availability. This brief quiescent state, which we refer to as microfluidic-induced sleep, occurs spontaneously in microfluidic chambers, which allows us to track animal movement and perform whole-brain imaging. With these capabilities, we establish that microfluidic-induced sleep meets the behavioral requirements of C. elegans sleep and depends on multiple factors, such as satiety and temperature. Additionally, we show that C. elegans sleep can be induced through mechanosensory pathways. Together, these results establish a model system for studying how animals process multiple sensory pathways to regulate behavioral states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Gonzales
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jasmine Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Bo Fan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jacob T Robinson
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Acarón Ledesma H, Li X, Carvalho-de-Souza JL, Wei W, Bezanilla F, Tian B. An atlas of nano-enabled neural interfaces. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 14:645-657. [PMID: 31270446 PMCID: PMC6800006 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-019-0487-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Advances in microscopy and molecular strategies have allowed researchers to gain insight into the intricate organization of the mammalian brain and the roles that neurons play in processing information. Despite vast progress, therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders remain limited, owing to a lack of biomaterials for sensing and modulating neuronal signalling in vivo. Therefore, there is a pressing need for developing material-based tools that can form seamless biointerfaces and interrogate the brain with unprecedented resolution. In this Review, we discuss important considerations in material design and implementation, highlight recent breakthroughs in neural sensing and modulation, and propose future directions in neurotechnology research. Our goal is to create an atlas for nano-enabled neural interfaces and to demonstrate how emerging nanotechnologies can interrogate neural systems spanning multiple biological length scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Acarón Ledesma
- Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xiaojian Li
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute of Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Shenzhen-Hongkong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - João L Carvalho-de-Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Francisco Bezanilla
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Bozhi Tian
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Johar MA, Song HG, Waseem A, Kang JH, Ha JS, Cho YH, Ryu SW. Ultrafast carrier dynamics of conformally grown semi-polar (112[combining macron]2) GaN/InGaN multiple quantum well co-axial nanowires on m-axial GaN core nanowires. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:10932-10943. [PMID: 31139802 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr02823d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The growth of semi-polar (112[combining macron]2) GaN/InGaN multiple-quantum-well (MQW) co-axial heterostructure shells around m-axial GaN core nanowires on a Si substrate using MOCVD is reported for the first time. The core GaN nanowire and GaN/InGaN MQW shells are grown in a two-step growth sequence of vapor-liquid-solid and vapor-solid growth modes. The luminescence and carrier dynamics of GaN/InGaN MQW coaxial nanowires are studied by photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, and low temperature time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL). The emission is tuned from 430 nm to 590 nm by increasing the InGaN QW thickness. The non-single exponential decay measured by low-temperature TRPL was attributed to the indium fluctuations in the InGaN QW. The ultrafast radiative lifetime was measured from 14 ps to 26 ps with different emission wavelengths at a very high internal quantum efficiency up to 68%. An ultrafast carrier lifetime was assigned to the growth of the InGaN QW on semi-polar (112[combining macron]2) growth facet and the improved carrier collection efficiency due to the radial growth of the GaN/InGaN MQW shells. Such an ultrafast carrier dynamics of NWs provides a meaningful active medium for high speed optoelectronic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ali Johar
- Department of Physics, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
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Weeks JC, Robinson KJ, Lockery SR, Roberts WM. Anthelmintic drug actions in resistant and susceptible C. elegans revealed by electrophysiological recordings in a multichannel microfluidic device. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2018; 8:607-628. [PMID: 30503202 PMCID: PMC6287544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Many anthelmintic drugs used to treat parasitic nematode infections target proteins that regulate electrical activity of neurons and muscles: ion channels (ICs) and neurotransmitter receptors (NTRs). Perturbation of IC/NTR function disrupts worm behavior and can lead to paralysis, starvation, immune attack and expulsion. Limitations of current anthelmintics include a limited spectrum of activity across species and the threat of drug resistance, highlighting the need for new drugs for human and veterinary medicine. Although ICs/NTRs are valuable anthelmintic targets, electrophysiological recordings are not commonly included in drug development pipelines. We designed a medium-throughput platform for recording electropharyngeograms (EPGs)-the electrical signals emitted by muscles and neurons of the pharynx during pharyngeal pumping (feeding)-in Caenorhabditis elegans and parasitic nematodes. The current study in C. elegans expands previous work in several ways. Detecting anthelmintic bioactivity in drugs, compounds or natural products requires robust, sustained pharyngeal pumping under baseline conditions. We generated concentration-response curves for stimulating pumping by perfusing 8-channel microfluidic devices (chips) with the neuromodulator serotonin, or with E. coli bacteria (C. elegans' food in the laboratory). Worm orientation in the chip (head-first vs. tail-first) affected the response to E. coli but not to serotonin. Using a panel of anthelmintics-ivermectin, levamisole and piperazine-targeting different ICs/NTRs, we determined the effects of concentration and treatment duration on EPG activity, and successfully distinguished control (N2) and drug-resistant worms (avr-14; avr-15; glc-1, unc-38 and unc-49). EPG recordings detected anthelmintic activity of drugs that target ICs/NTRs located in the pharynx as well as at extra-pharyngeal sites. A bus-8 mutant with enhanced permeability was more sensitive than controls to drug treatment. These results provide a useful framework for investigators who would like to more easily incorporate electrophysiology as a routine component of their anthelmintic research workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janis C Weeks
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1254, USA.
| | - Kristin J Robinson
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1254, USA.
| | - Shawn R Lockery
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1254, USA.
| | - William M Roberts
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1254, USA.
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18
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Badhiwala KN, Gonzales DL, Vercosa DG, Avants BW, Robinson JT. Microfluidics for electrophysiology, imaging, and behavioral analysis of Hydra. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2523-2539. [PMID: 29987278 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00475g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The nervous system of the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris exhibits remarkable regenerative abilities. When cut in two, the bisected tissue reorganizes into fully behaving animals in approximately 48 hours. Furthermore, new animals can reform from aggregates of dissociated cells. Understanding how behaviors are coordinated by this highly plastic nervous system could reveal basic principles of neural circuit dynamics underlying behaviors. However, Hydra's deformable and contractile body makes it difficult to manipulate the local environment while recording neural activity. Here, we present the first microfluidic technologies capable of simultaneous electrical, chemical, and optical interrogation of these soft, deformable organisms. Specifically, we demonstrate devices that can immobilize Hydra for hours-long simultaneous electrical and optical recording, and chemical stimulation of behaviors revealing neural activity during muscle contraction. We further demonstrate quantitative locomotive and behavioral tracking made possible by confining the animal to quasi-two-dimensional micro-arenas. Together, these proof-of-concept devices show that microfluidics provide a platform for scalable, quantitative cnidarian neurobiology. The experiments enabled by this technology may help reveal how highly plastic networks of neurons provide robust control of animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna N Badhiwala
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
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Kim AA, Nekimken AL, Fechner S, O'Brien LE, Pruitt BL. Microfluidics for mechanobiology of model organisms. Methods Cell Biol 2018; 146:217-259. [PMID: 30037463 PMCID: PMC6418080 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical stimuli play a critical role in organ development, tissue homeostasis, and disease. Understanding how mechanical signals are processed in multicellular model systems is critical for connecting cellular processes to tissue- and organism-level responses. However, progress in the field that studies these phenomena, mechanobiology, has been limited by lack of appropriate experimental techniques for applying repeatable mechanical stimuli to intact organs and model organisms. Microfluidic platforms, a subgroup of microsystems that use liquid flow for manipulation of objects, are a promising tool for studying mechanobiology of small model organisms due to their size scale and ease of customization. In this work, we describe design considerations involved in developing a microfluidic device for studying mechanobiology. Then, focusing on worms, fruit flies, and zebrafish, we review current microfluidic platforms for mechanobiology of multicellular model organisms and their tissues and highlight research opportunities in this developing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Kim
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Beth L Pruitt
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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20
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Klimovich AV, Bosch TCG. Rethinking the Role of the Nervous System: Lessons From the Hydra Holobiont. Bioessays 2018; 40:e1800060. [PMID: 29989180 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201800060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Here we evaluate our current understanding of the function of the nervous system in Hydra, a non-bilaterian animal which is among the first metazoans that contain neurons. We highlight growing evidence that the nervous system, with its rich repertoire of neuropeptides, is involved in controlling resident beneficial microbes. We also review observations that indicate that microbes affect the animal's behavior by directly interfering with neuronal receptors. These findings provide new insight into the original role of the nervous system, and suggest that it emerged to orchestrate multiple functions including host-microbiome interactions. The excitement of future research in the Hydra model now relies on uncovering the common rules and principles that govern the interaction between neurons and microbes and the extent to which such laws might apply to other and more complex organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas C G Bosch
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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21
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Real-time monitoring of immune responses under pathogen invasion and drug interference by integrated microfluidic device coupled with worm-based biosensor. Biosens Bioelectron 2018; 110:233-238. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.03.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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McGuire AF, Santoro F, Cui B. Interfacing Cells with Vertical Nanoscale Devices: Applications and Characterization. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2018; 11:101-126. [PMID: 29570360 PMCID: PMC6530470 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-061417-125705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Measurements of the intracellular state of mammalian cells often require probes or molecules to breach the tightly regulated cell membrane. Mammalian cells have been shown to grow well on vertical nanoscale structures in vitro, going out of their way to reach and tightly wrap the structures. A great deal of research has taken advantage of this interaction to bring probes close to the interface or deliver molecules with increased efficiency or ease. In turn, techniques have been developed to characterize this interface. Here, we endeavor to survey this research with an emphasis on the interface as driven by cellular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allister F McGuire
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA;
| | - Francesca Santoro
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA;
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 80125 Naples, Italy;
| | - Bianxiao Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA;
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Dong L, Cornaglia M, Krishnamani G, Zhang J, Mouchiroud L, Lehnert T, Auwerx J, Gijs MAM. Reversible and long-term immobilization in a hydrogel-microbead matrix for high-resolution imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans and other small organisms. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193989. [PMID: 29509812 PMCID: PMC5839568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an important model organism for biomedical research and genetic studies relevant to human biology and disease. Such studies are often based on high-resolution imaging of dynamic biological processes in the worm body tissues, requiring well-immobilized and physiologically active animals in order to avoid movement-related artifacts and to obtain meaningful biological information. However, existing immobilization methods employ the application of either anesthetics or servere physical constraints, by using glue or specific microfluidic on-chip mechanical structures, which in some cases may strongly affect physiological processes of the animals. Here, we immobilize C. elegans nematodes by taking advantage of a biocompatible and temperature-responsive hydrogel-microbead matrix. Our gel-based immobilization technique does not require a specific chip design and enables fast and reversible immobilization, thereby allowing successive imaging of the same single worm or of small worm populations at all development stages for several days. We successfully demonstrated the applicability of this method in challenging worm imaging contexts, in particular by applying it for high-resolution confocal imaging of the mitochondrial morphology in worm body wall muscle cells and for the long-term quantification of number and size of specific protein aggregates in different C. elegans neurodegenerative disease models. Our approach was also suitable for immobilizing other small organisms, such as the larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei. We anticipate that this versatile technique will significantly simplify biological assay-based longitudinal studies and long-term observation of small model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Dong
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gopalan Krishnamani
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jingwei Zhang
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Trigo-Damas I, del Rey NLG, Blesa J. Novel models for Parkinson’s disease and their impact on future drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2018; 13:229-239. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2018.1428556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ines Trigo-Damas
- HM CINAC, Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, Móstoles, Spain
- CIBERNED, Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Javier Blesa
- HM CINAC, Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, Móstoles, Spain
- CIBERNED, Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Vitale F, Vercosa DG, Rodriguez AV, Pamulapati SS, Seibt F, Lewis E, Yan JS, Badhiwala K, Adnan M, Royer-Carfagni G, Beierlein M, Kemere C, Pasquali M, Robinson JT. Fluidic Microactuation of Flexible Electrodes for Neural Recording. NANO LETTERS 2018; 18:326-335. [PMID: 29220192 PMCID: PMC6632092 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b04184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Soft and conductive nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes, graphene, and nanowire scaffolds have expanded the family of ultraflexible microelectrodes that can bend and flex with the natural movement of the brain, reduce the inflammatory response, and improve the stability of long-term neural recordings. However, current methods to implant these highly flexible electrodes rely on temporary stiffening agents that temporarily increase the electrode size and stiffness thus aggravating neural damage during implantation, which can lead to cell loss and glial activation that persists even after the stiffening agents are removed or dissolve. A method to deliver thin, ultraflexible electrodes deep into neural tissue without increasing the stiffness or size of the electrodes will enable minimally invasive electrical recordings from within the brain. Here we show that specially designed microfluidic devices can apply a tension force to ultraflexible electrodes that prevents buckling without increasing the thickness or stiffness of the electrode during implantation. Additionally, these "fluidic microdrives" allow us to precisely actuate the electrode position with micron-scale accuracy. To demonstrate the efficacy of our fluidic microdrives, we used them to actuate highly flexible carbon nanotube fiber (CNTf) microelectrodes for electrophysiology. We used this approach in three proof-of-concept experiments. First, we recorded compound action potentials in a soft model organism, the small cnidarian Hydra. Second, we targeted electrodes precisely to the thalamic reticular nucleus in brain slices and recorded spontaneous and optogenetically evoked extracellular action potentials. Finally, we inserted electrodes more than 4 mm deep into the brain of rats and detected spontaneous individual unit activity in both cortical and subcortical regions. Compared to syringe injection, fluidic microdrives do not penetrate the brain and prevent changes in intracranial pressure by diverting fluid away from the implantation site during insertion and actuation. Overall, the fluidic microdrive technology provides a robust new method to implant and actuate ultraflexible neural electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Vitale
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Daniel G. Vercosa
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Alexander V. Rodriguez
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Sushma Sri Pamulapati
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Frederik Seibt
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Eric Lewis
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - J. Stephen Yan
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Krishna Badhiwala
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Mohammed Adnan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Gianni Royer-Carfagni
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma I-43100, Italy
| | - Michael Beierlein
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Caleb Kemere
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Matteo Pasquali
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemistry, The Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jacob T. Robinson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
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Cornaglia M, Lehnert T, Gijs MAM. Microfluidic systems for high-throughput and high-content screening using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:3736-3759. [PMID: 28840220 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00509a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In a typical high-throughput drug screening (HTS) process, up to millions of chemical compounds are applied to cells cultured in well plates, aiming to find molecules that exhibit a robust dose-response, as evidenced for example by a fluorescence signal. In high-content screening (HCS), one goes a step further by linking the tested compounds to phenotypic information, obtained, for instance, from microscopic cell images, thereby creating richer data sets that also require more advanced analysis methods. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans came into the screening picture due to the wide availability of its mutants and human disease models, its relatively easy culture and short life cycle. Being a whole-organism model, it allows drug testing under physiological conditions at multi-tissue levels and provides additional observable phenotypes with respect to cell models, related, for instance, to development, aging, behavior or motility. Worm-based HTS studies in liquid environments on microwell plates have been demonstrated, while microfluidic devices allowed surpassing the performance of plates by enabling more versatile and accurate assays, precise and dynamic dosing of compounds, and readouts down to single-animal resolution. In this review, we discuss microfluidic devices for C. elegans analysis and related studies, published in the period from 2012 to 2017. After an introduction to the different screening approaches, we first focus on microfluidic systems with potential for screening applications. Various enabling technologies, e.g. electrophysiological on-chip recordings or laser axotomy, have been implemented, as well as techniques for reversible worm immobilization and high-resolution imaging, combined with algorithms for automated experimentation and analysis. Several devices for developmental or behavioral assays, and worm sorting based on different phenotypes, have been proposed too. In a subsequent section, we review the application of microfluidic-based systems for medium- and high-throughput screens, including neurobiology and neurodegeneration studies, aging and developmental assays, toxicity and pathogenesis screens, as well as behavioral and motility assays. A thorough analysis of this work reveals a trend towards microfluidic systems more and more capable of offering high-quality analyses of large worm populations, based on multi-phenotypic and/or longitudinal readouts, with clear potential for their application in larger HTS/HCS contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.
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