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Miniaturized Iontronic Micropipettes for Precise and Dynamic Ionic Modulation of Neuronal and Astrocytic Activity
Theresia Arbring Sjöström1,2, Anton I Ivanov3, Nariman Kiani3
1Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Norrköping, 60174, Sweden.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|March 10, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a novel iontronic micropipette for precise control over individual brain cells. This tool allows targeted manipulation of ions like potassium (K⁺) to study cellular responses in neuroscience research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biotechnology
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Extracellular milieu composition significantly impacts brain cell function.
- Understanding specific ion effects on individual neurons and astrocytes is limited.
- Current methods for ionic modulation lack precise control and complicate data interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-resolution tool for precise ionic manipulation of single brain cells.
- To investigate the distinct responses of neurons and astrocytes to specific extracellular ion changes.
- To offer new insights for neuroscience research and therapeutic development.
Main Methods:
- Development of a miniaturized iontronic micropipette with a sub-2 µm outlet.
- On-demand ionic manipulation of single cells using polyelectrolyte-filled micropipette.
- Characterization via electrical, chemical, optical methods, and computational modeling in hippocampal slices.
Main Results:
- The iontronic micropipette demonstrated high spatial and temporal precision.
- Effective, rapid, and reversible modulation of individual neurons and astrocytes via potassium ion (K⁺) release.
- Achieved precise ionic control with low current (<200 nA) without solvent co-delivery.
Conclusions:
- The iontronic micropipette enables precise investigation of single-cell responses to extracellular milieu changes.
- This technology advances the study of neuronal and glial cell electrophysiology.
- Potential applications in understanding neurological disorders and developing targeted therapies.
