Laboratory
feature:
Bionics Group, Life Sciences Interface @ Tyndall
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Group
Leader - John Alderman
Introduction
The focus of the Bionics Group at Tyndall National Institute is the investigation of interactions between the 'cellular' and micro / nano technological worlds. Specific aims include the development of technologies to interface to cellular material for in vitro and for in vivo applications. Testing of developed systems is achieved using in-house cell culture and microscopy facilities.
Key research themes and
expertise
The group has multi-disciplinary capabilities in the development of extra cellular and implantable electrodes for cell stimulation and recording. We have expertise in the design and assembly of micro fluidic enabled platforms for cellular analysis, fermentation monitoring and biochemical separations. The Bionics Group also has ongoing projects in the area of gene and drug delivery to mammalian cells using DNA transfection, plasmid amplification, protein purification, luminescent and fluorescent analysis.
Examples
of specific projects
Design fabrication and characterization of integrated micro-fabricated platforms for cell stimulation, counting and screening. Electro physiological devices for cell stimulation and recording using multiple electrode arrays.
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Design, fabrication and testing of microstructures for
cellular and metabolic monitoring
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Development of in vivo biomedical implants : nerve stimulator, retinal implants using ultra fine flexible electrodes for nerve recording and stimulation
Key equipment and
facilities
The Bionics Group has access to key facilities within the Life Science Group including a cell culture suite. The group also accesses Tyndall's main facility for characterisation, analysis and system testing and specialist packaging facility for assembly and die scale packaging.
General equipment includes
• Class II Biological Safety Cabinet
• CO2 incubator
• Laminar flow hoods
• Static and oscillating magnetic arrays
• Inverted phase microscope
• Fluorescent microscope
• Multi-wavelength fluorescent/luminescent plate reader with kinetic analysis capabilities
• Spectroscopy: UV and absorbance
• Mid-scale protein purification including SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting set-ups.
• Multichannel’s Multiple Electrode Array Kit for cell stimulation and recording.
• Patch Clamp rig
Mutliple Electrode Array
A microelectrode array (MEA) consists of a number of electrodes in this case 60, arranged in different patterns. These arrays permit simultaneous extracellular recordings or stimulation of electro-active biological cells over multiple sites. We can fabricate fine geometry arrays on an inexpensive platform providing devices which can be used a few times or disposed of after a single use. These MEAs can be designed and tailored to a particular application - different electrode layouts, metals etc can be accommodated. Successful recordings and stimulation of the extra-cellular field potentials of the Hl-1 cardiomyocyte cell line has been achieved using both the novel in-house fabricated Tyndall devices and commercially available devices.
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