DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.neumatdecas.2023.023
Publication date: 9th January 2023
Synaptic plasticity is at the base of learning and memory capabilities of the human brain and lately recent studies reported a strong correlation between synaptic dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases. Unfortunately, the complexity of the brain and the nervous system prevents the investigation of mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment, and for this reason the possibility to inhibit neurodegeneration at the early stage of disease is still far from being concrete1. In this scenario, in vitro platforms have attracted significant interest as they could provide simplified biomimetic models of neuronal systems and allow for the investigation of synaptic dysfunctions in neurodegeneration. In this context, organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have recently emerged as neuromorphic devices that exhibit synaptic plasticity2 and dopamine-mediated adaptive behavior as biological neuronal cells3. Furthermore, the recent implementation of supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) on conductive polymers and OECTs lead to the development of a new class of biosensors able to mimic cells native environment4. Here, we present a biomimetic in vitro platform which displays a neuronal membrane outer architecture and is able to recapitulate the same functionalities of neurons (i.e. neurotransmitter-mediated synaptic plasticity). In detail, we investigated the role of SLB ionic barrier behavior on the neuromorphic functionalities of the OECT: here, we evaluated the role of a full homogeneous covering of OECT gate and channel (SLB-full configuration) vs the specific confinement of the lipid bilayer on the OECT channel only (SLB-one side configuration)5. Furthermore, combining the oxidation of dopamine at the gate electrode with the SLB-one side neuromorphic device, we accomplished an in vitro platform which mimic pre and post-synaptic neuronal architecture as well as synaptic functioning. We expect that such biomembrane-based organic neuromorphic transistor could represent a first step towards the implementation of fully biomimetic in vitro systems, which resemble composition and functionalities of neuronal networks and as such, could contribute to unwind the complex mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and synaptic plasticity loss.
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