Patterning chemical stimulation of reconstructed neuronal networks

A spatially resolved delivery of substances integrated with cell culture substrates shows promise for application in pharmacological assays, bioanalytical studies on cell signaling pathways and cell-based biosensors, where control over the extracellular biochemical environment with a cellular resolution is desirable. In this work, we studied a biohybrid system where rat embryonic cortical neuronal networks are reconstructed on microstructured silicon chips and interfaced to microfluidics. The design of cell-cell and cell-medium interactions in confined geometries is presented. We developed an aligned microcontact printing technique (AmicroCP) for poly(lysine)-extracellular matrix proteins on microstructured chips, which allows a high degree of geometrical control over the network architecture and alignment of the neuronal network with the microfluidic features of a substrate. Spatially resolved on-chip delivery of compounds with a cellular resolution is demonstrated by chemical stimulation of patterned rat cortical neurons within a network with a number of solutions of excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate delivered via microfluidics. The combination of the system described with a patch-clamp technique allowed both modulation of the biochemical environment on a cellular level and the monitoring of electrophysiological properties in the reconstructed rat embryonic cortical networks changed by this microenvironment.