Neurons Pinned Down Using Nanopillar Arrays

Cultured neuronal networks can be hard to study because of migration of individual neurons within the network over time. In order to overcome this problem, researchers from Stanford University have used nanopillar arrays to pin down neurons to the underlying surface. They created nanopillars with a 150 nm diameter and 1 μm height. Embryonic cortical neurons were placed on the nanopillar substrate, where neurons that had their cell bodies or neurites attached to the nanopillars remained in an almost fixed position while retaining survival rates and cell morphology similar to the other neurons. Although the cell body is fixed, axons and dendrites are free to grow and elongate into the surrounding area to develop a neuronal network. This technique opens possibilities to study individual cells within neuronal networks, and the nanopillars could be used to trap neurons on top of microelectrodes to improve the neuron-to-electrode contact. A brief report on the work has been published online in Nano Letters, linked below.
Article abstract: Noninvasive Neuron Pinning with Nanopillar Arrays…
(Hat tip: Nanowerk)