Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme

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AKB: Biologische Physik

AKB 50: Poster Session "Biological Physics"

AKB 50.80: Poster

Friday, March 12, 2004, 10:30–13:00, B

Extracellular Recording of Individual Mammalian Neurons with Low Noise Field Effect Transistors — •Moritz Voelker and Peter Fromherz — MPI für Biochemie, Abt. Membran und Neurophysik, Martinsried

Noninvasive recording of electrical activity of individual nerve cells in culture is a prerequisite for the study of designed neuronal networks and neuron-based pharmacological sensors. We employ open field effect transistors to record the extracellular signals beneath the cells. While invertebrate neurons yield large signals, the smaller rat neurons could be recorded previously only by signal averaging. Here we report on extracellular recording of individual neurons from rat hippocampus as well as of dense cultures. By using buried channel field effect transistors built with a low noise process, we detect extracellular signals from individual neurons with an amplitude of about 100 µV and from dense cultures with signals up to 4 mV, considerably more than with planar metal electrodes. The extracellular voltages with individual neurons and dense cell cultures are discussed in terms of capacitive and ionic currents in the planar core-coat conductor of cell-silicon junctions.