Sci Adv: Micro-robots help rebuild neural networks.

Oct 1, 2020 /--- -- Researchers from several South Korean institutions have created a tiny robot that acts as a bridge between the neural cell networks of rats.
paper published in the journal Science Advance, the team describes how their miniature robots are built and their ability to act as bridge builders between neural networks.
have taken many steps to study the brain.
is to try to grow nerve cells into the brain.
previous work has shown that neural cell networks can be grown on glass plates, which are of course two-dimensional.
work, researchers took a step toward creating 3-D neural networks by designing a way to connect 2-D neural networks using tiny robots.
(Photo: DGIST-ETH Microrobotics Research Center) This work includes rectangular miniature robots (300 microns long and 95 microns wide) made from polymers coated with nickel and titanium.
of the tiny robot is controlled by applying an external magnetic field.
to take advantage of the robot, the researchers first grew two separate neural networks on glass panels 300 microns apart.
, they grew another neural network on the surface of the miniature robot.
once all the networks were in place, the researchers applied a magnetic field to the robot and pushed it between the other two neural networks.
magnetic field is used to fine-tune the position of the miniature robot relative to the two networks.
then the researchers just wait and see how the event progresses.
they found that not only do nerve cells grow from both ends of the microbot to other neural networks, but other networks are also beginning to extend to networks on the microbots.
over time, a bridge was formed between the two primitive neural networks.
researchers found that when they applied a small amount of stimulation to one original network, it was transmitted over a bridge to another network, proving that it could work as expected.
researchers believe that building a neuron bridge is part of a network of existing neurons, and point out that this may help repair nerves in injured patients.
(bioon.com) Source: Microrobots used to build bridge between rat nerve cell networks Source: Eunhee Kim et al. A magnetically actuated microrobot for targeted neural cell delivery and selective connection of neural networks, Science Advances (2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb5696.