Multifunctional vascular-like electronics for integration and monitoring of human neural organoids

I aim to develop multifunctional vascular-like electronics (VasE), a dual-purpose bioelectronic probe and perfusion system, for integration and monitoring of human neural organoids. This system will enable seamless integration of neural-vascular-electronic networks and simultaneously monitoring the electrophysiological states during neural organoid development. Central to this effort is an innovative electronic design that allows nutrient and oxygen penetration within the vascular-like network while simultaneously and longitudinally monitoring neural activity via integrated electronic sensors. The development of VasE will represent novel research methodologies and catalyze therapeutic opportunities in neural organoids and other nervous systems where vascularization-driven perfusion is vital.

Trained as a chemist and currently pursuing a postdoctoral training under the joint guidance of Prof. Bianxiao Cui(chemistry/nanotechnology) and Prof. Sergiu Pasca (neuroscience/psychiatry), I seek to harness materials science tools to tackle pressing challenges in neural development. The goal of this proposal is to design and integrate VasE with neural organoids for more sustained growth of larger neural organoids that are unrestricted by diffusion barriers. This would promote cell diversity and maturation, and ultimately, lead to a more complex and long-lived neural organoid system that emulates the intricate electrophysiological states of human brains more accurately.

This project includes three specific aims. First, I am focused on developing and characterizing flexible electronics tailored for long-term neural organoid integration and recording. Second, I will design, fabricate, and characterize vascular-like electronics (VasE). Third, I will integrate VasES with organoids to facilitate medium perfusion and monitor electrophysiological activity simultaneously.

This study will introduce a vascular-like electronic system that merges seamlessly with neural organoids, establishing an integrated vascular-electronic-neural network. This envisaged platform holds the promise of heralding a transformative phase in the evolution of human neural organoid research and elucidating the fundamental understanding on the roles of oxygen and nutrient perfusion during neural development.