Meeting details menu

Meeting Authors
Meeting Abstracts
Keynote lectures
Oral communications
Poster presentations
Special symposia
Other

Acta Physiologica Congress

Back

Acta Physiologica 2012; Volume 206, Supplement 692
The 63rd National Congress of the Italian Physiological Society
9/21/2012-9/23/2012
Verona, Italy


ORGANIC ELECTRONICS ALLOWS THE PHOTO-ELECTRIC EXCITATION AND INHIBITION OF NEURONAL ACTIVITY IN PRIMARY NEURONAL CULTURES AND ACUTE RETINAL EXPLANTS
Abstract number: P1.25

GHEZZI1 D, LANZARINI2 E, MARTINO2 N, ANTOGNAZZA2 MR, MACCARONE3 R, BISTI3 R, LANZANI2 G, BENFENATI1 F

1Dept of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
2Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia @POLIMI, Milano, Italy
3Dipartimento di scienze cliniche e biotecnologiche, Univ. dell'Aquila, Italy

Interfacing organic electronics and biology offers new possibilities in biotechnology, due to the unique properties exhibited by organic conducting polymers (e.g. biological affinity, mechanical flexibility and ease of functionalization). OCP have been exploited as materials for cellular interfaces in several fashions as: (i) culturing substrates, (ii) organic biosensors or (iii) actuators for neurotransmitter release and electrodes for controlled cell seeding, growth and activity detection. An organic photovoltaic donor-acceptor blend has been exploited for neuron stimulation. With respect to previous examples with inorganic semiconductors, this system has several advantages including flexibility, no power requirement and biocompatibility. Here, we report the novel use of a single component semiconductor organic polymer for the direct control of neuronal activity. This interface has the remarkable capability to evoke both excitation and inhibition of neuronal firing in response to illumination. We show that both photo-stimulation and photo-inhibition can be obtained through the same general method, by simply adding or removing the conductive electrode (ITO) underlying the organic layer. Moreover, this interface has been exploited to restore visual response in retinal explants obtained from animal models of retinal degeneration (light-blinded albino SD rats). By recording LFP in the RGC layer, we demonstrated the ability of the organic conductive polymer to mimic the function of photoreceptors and induce retinal activation of retinal ganglion cells after light illumination. These results paved the way to the development of a new and disruptive technology for interfacing artificial devices with neuronal networks, with applications in retinal prosthesis.

To cite this abstract, please use the following information:
Acta Physiologica 2012; Volume 206, Supplement 692 :P1.25

Our site uses cookies to improve your experience.You can find out more about our use of cookies in our standard cookie policy, including instructions on how to reject and delete cookies if you wish to do so.

By continuing to browse this site you agree to us using cookies as described in our standard cookie policy .

CLOSE