Grant: Project Grant

Synapses are the specialized connections that permit neurons to pass signals from cell to cell to form a network. Synapse function is fundamental to how the brain works, how memories are stored and how decisions are made by humans. Disruption or loss of appropriate synaptic connections, due to neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative disease, following injury, or due to aging, results in the disruption and disconnection of neuronal networks. Here we propose to combine recent findings from cellular and molecular neuroscience with polymer chemistry and bioengineering materials science to develop a new type of synaptic interface between neurons and assistive technologies. We have identified a highly stable polymer, a molecular mimic of a protein that is sufficient to direct neurons to form synaptic connections onto an engineered surface. We have shown that this polymer coating is stable in long-term neuronal cell culture, resists enzymatic degradation, and engages proteins in the neuron that drive synapse formation. We propose to direct nerve cells to make synaptic connections onto engineered contacts, thereby increasing biocompatibility with the nervous system, reducing scar formation around long-term implants, and forming the basis for next generation electrodes and an enhanced brain-machine interface. Developing methods to enhance neural-biocompatibility has enormous therapeutic potential.