This award provides funds to permit Dr. Bruce C. Wheeler, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Chamoaign, to pursue with Dr. Sung June Kim, School of Electrical Engineering, Seoul National University, for 24 months, a program of cooperative research on micropatterned neural networks and microelectrode arrays. In this project, the neuronal cell patterning expertise at the University of Illinois is coupled with the microelectronics fabrication expertise at Seoul National University. The research team at the University of Illinois has shown that novel surface treatment can be used to grow micropatterned neural networks in culture. Essential elements of the technology are the ability to retard cell attachment and growth from background areas, to confine somata to desired positions, and to control axonal extension so as to create an oriented network. Microlithographic techniques, primarily microcontact printing, will be used to create patterns of biomolecules on planar culture surfaces in order to effect control of position of attachment and extension of neurons and glia. The Korean team will greatly enhance the Illinois efforts by making passive electrode arrays available on a routine basis and pursuing novel fabrication technologies for electrode design. In addition the Korean team will design and fabricate arrays incorporating active electronics for stimulation, amplification, and multiplexing. Their instrumentation goal is to obtain better signal to noise ratio by placing first stage amplifiers nearly in contact with the low level signal source. The Korean team has substantial capabilities for microelectronic fabrication and already has made devices for neural signal amplification. Collaboration on this project will provide a biological context in which to improve their designs, for the benefit of both teams.
The complementary expertise of the two research teams will be mutually beneficial and will advance knowledge in this important field of research. The collaborators are highly regarded scientists in their respective fields of research. Korean and American graduate students will be included in the teams of collaborators. This project is relevant to the objectives of the U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science Program which seeks to increase the level of cooperation between U.S. and Korean scientists and engineers through the exchange of scientific information, ideas, skills, and techniques and through collaboration on problems of mutual benefit. Korean participation is supported by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF). ***
