Fabrication of artificial neural network by reversibly controlling elastic properties of a hydrogel substrate

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K17499
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Nanobioscience
• Research Institution: NTT Basic Research Laboratories
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Aya 日本電信電話株式会社NTT物性科学基礎研究所, 機能物質科学研究部, 研究主任 (80564278)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: メカノバイオロジー / 神経細胞 / ハイドロゲル / ヤング率

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to reveal how the mechanical properties of the extracellular microenvironment affect neural network formation in the CNS. Here, I focus on neurite initiation from a cell body, which is known to be the first step towards forming a functional nervous network. For this purpose, stiffness-controlled hydrogel substrates were prepared. It was found that the neurite initiation depended on an elastic properties of the hydrogel substrate. This result provides an insight for developing a scaffold for designing a compliant interface between tissue and a
device such as a brain-machine interface.

Free Research Field

生体関連高分子