Abstract
In this paper we discuss the fabrication and characterization of three dimensional (3D) micro- and nanoelectrodes with the goal of using them for extra- and intracellular studies. Two different types of electrodes will be described: high aspect ratio microelectrodes for studying the communication between cells and ultimately for brain slice recordings and small nanoelectrodes for highly localized measurements and ultimately for intracellular studies. Electrical and electrochemical characterization of these electrodes as well as the results of PC12 cell differentiation on chip will be presented and discussed.
Highlights
Recording electrical or chemical signals from cells can provide a lot of information about how they respond to different stimuli, how they communicate with each other and how they function in general.This kind of understanding of cell dynamics can help modern medicine treat diseases for which little can be done today, e.g., Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries, and even cancer [1,2].Traditionally, recording of cell signals has utilized planar (2D) electrodes
Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis (Oxford Inca EDX system, Oxford Instruments, UK) on the small electrodes was done inside a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) from FEI Corporation in order to check the electrodeposition of PAni on the selected electrodes and whether the silicon nitride layer was properly removed during the nitride etch
The electrodes are surrounded by pillars that fulfill two purposes: first, they protect the main structure from being damaged during the etch process; in this case the sacrificial pillars disappear during the creation of the electrodes due to the aggressiveness of the process, as it is shown in Figure 5
Summary
Recording electrical or chemical signals from cells can provide a lot of information about how they respond to different stimuli, how they communicate with each other and how they function in general. The quality of the recorded signal is proportional to the surface area of the electrode which is covered by the cell This is why planar MEAs fabricated to record signals from single cells should have a diameter of around 10–20 μm, corresponding to the size of the cells whose signals are to be recorded. MCS GmbH have been commercialized and have been used in many publications demonstrating relevant biological measurements on tissue slices [21,22,23,24] Their ability to penetrate the slices and come closer to the firing neurons as well as the improved SNR has been of great importance in the field and they find excellent applications in studies of brain slices. Differentiation of PC12 cells on the chips will be demonstrated, proving the chips’ biocompatibility
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