Applications for Thin-Film Planar Microelectrode Arrays
Introduction
An increasing body of data collected in recent years indicates that the properties and the behavior of individual cells are dynamically modulated by the structure and activity of the embedding network. It is therefore necessary to evaluate manipulations of these, e.g. drug effects on a given neuron, in the context of the activity dynamics of the surrounding neuronal network. Understanding the interplay of cells within small, yet complex networks in vitro could thus improve the predictability of drug effects in the intact organism.
Electrophysiological recording techniques suitable to monitor the activity of neuronal populations in vitro have recently become available. These multi-electrode tools record spike activity and low frequency potentials with substrate integrated electrodes at several sites in the tissue. Besides, they facilitate collection of the sample sizes necessary for statistics. The possibility to electrically stimulate the tissue further expands the range of applications and bioassays.
From the meanwhile numerous applications ranging across the recording in freshly prepared brain slices, cultured neuronal tissues, to studies of circadian rhythms with recordings for many days we present four model preparations of excitable tissues used in our labs. These studies are part of a project.
 |
 |
 |
| The Technique | Spike Activity in Acute Slices | Organotypic Tissue Cultures |
 |
 |
|
| Acute Hippocampal Slices | Cardiac Myocytes |
Links
- Links to Pages Related to Microelectrode Arrays
- MEA-Tools Introduction and Download Site
- NMI Reutlingen
- MultiChannelSystems
Back to Ulrich Egert's Lab Page
Back to Brainworks Lab Page
Email: egert@biologie.uni-freiburg.de
 |