| Summary: |
We intend to bring together the biological and electronic worlds by developing the first hardware platform capable of storing and recalling memory information from biological
neurons using artificial neuromorphic elements. This achievement could foster great progresses in the study of the human brain and lead to innovative therapeutic solutions for
neurological disorders. Our work plan will take place through a series of sequential steps that, at the end, will allow the fabricated neuromorphic network to interact with both
dissociated and organotypic neuronal hippocampal neuronal cultures. Our basic strategy is to gradually increase the complexity of the studied biological system from 2D to 3D
neuronal populations. This challenging program requires expertise and skill in various branches of materials, nanotechnology and neurobiology, and so it will combine the efforts of
leading research groups in these fields, all ranked "Excellent" in FCT's last evaluation. IFIMUP has a large experience on thin film deposition, electrical and structural characterization
of nanostructures; INESC-MN provides a strong background on nanomaterials deposition and on device fabrication including neural probes; i3S is a leading research institute in
biomedical engineering, having a large experience in electrophysiology, bioimaging and medical signals directly relevant to our work. These institutions have already performed
intensive collaborative research among themselves, including in the areas of this project and one thus expects to maximize the output results within the minimum period. |