Blog: Cracking the Code of the Mind

Cracking the Code of the Mind
American Friends of Tel Aviv University (07/12/11)

Tel Aviv University researchers have developed a type of lab-on-a-chip platform that can show how neuronal networks communicate and work together. The researchers, led by doctoral student Mark Shein, applied mathematical and engineering techniques to connect neurons with electronics in order to understand how neuronal connections communicate. The tool could be used to test new drugs, advance artificial intelligence, and develop better artificial limbs, according to the researchers. The device enables researchers to see how neural circuits operate under different conditions and explore activity patterns of many neurons simultaneously. The researchers focused on studying how several groups of neurons communicate with each other, according to Shein. The researchers cultured different sized networks of neuronal circuits and found that neural networks have a hierarchical structure in which large networks are composed of smaller sub-networks.

View Full Article