Bottom-up neuroscience

Understanding the brain is one of the grand challenges of the 21st century. At present research in this field revolves around two approaches: First, the study of individual neurons by electronic and biochemical means and, second, the imaging of the whole brain using MRI. We have developed a tool-box in order to create a bridge between these two approaches and to build small networks of neurons with controlled topography on a chip. We apply micro- and nanostructuring to control the attachment of neurons, the direction of the neurite growth and the formation of synapses. This allows us to study the activity of such bottom-up neuron networks and, thus, the basic processes of memory and learning. In addition, the controlled small neural networks can be used to test the effect of potential drugs for diseases of the central nervous system.