Northwestern Engineers Create Artificial Neurons That Successfully Communicate with Living Brain Cells

Breakthrough Technology

Engineers at Northwestern University have created printed artificial neurons that go beyond imitation and can directly interact with real brain cells. These flexible, low-cost devices produce electrical signals that closely resemble those generated by living neurons, allowing them to activate biological brain tissue.

In experiments using slices of mouse brain, the artificial neurons successfully triggered responses in real neurons. This result shows a new level of compatibility between electronic devices and living neural systems.

Technical Innovation

The backbone of that advance is a series of electronic inks, formulated from nanoscale flakes of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), which acts as a semiconductor, and graphene, which serves an electrical conductor. Using a specialized printing technique called aerosol jet printing, the researchers deposited these inks onto flexible polymer substrates.

Hersam leveraged this minor imperfection to add brain-like functionality to his device. "Instead of fully removing the polymer, we partially decompose it," he said.

Applications and Impact

This advance moves researchers closer to electronics that can directly interface with the nervous system. Potential uses include brain-machine interfaces and neuroprosthetics, such as implants that could help restore hearing, vision, or movement.

This data-intensive training leads to a massive power-consumption problem. Therefore, we have to come up with more efficient hardware to handle big data and AI. Because the brain is five orders of magnitude more energy efficient than a digital computer, it makes sense to look to the brain for inspiration for next-generation computing.