THREE-DIMENSIONAL LIQUID METAL-BASED CONFORMAL NEURO-INTERFACES FOR HUMAN HIPPOCAMPAL ORGANOIDS

Abstract

Human hippocampal organoids derived from stem cells have emerged as promising models for investigating neurodegenerative disorders. However, obtaining the electrical information of these free-floating organoids remains a challenge using commercial multi-electrode arrays (MEAs). The 3D MEAs developed recently acquired only a few neural signals due to limited channel numbers. Here, I present that under Wnt3a and SHH activator induction, the organoid produced hippocampal progenitors and dentate gyrus granule neurons. The transcriptomic signatures of the organoid reveal a high similarity to the developing human hippocampus. I report a platform coupling a liquid metal-polymer conductor (MPC)-based mesh neuro-interface with hippocampal organoids. The mesh MPC (mMPC) integrated 128 electrodes distributed on a small surface area. Softness of the mMPC enable its conformal attachment to the organoid. I successfully detected neural signals from this complex. Compared with traditional planar devices, the non-invasive coupling offers an adaptor for recording neural signals from 3D models.