Application of microelectrode arrays in basic research and drug discovery
Electrical activity of electrogenic cells in neuronal and cardiac tissue
can be recorded by
means of MEAs (microelectrode array) that offer the unique possibility
for non-invasive extracellular recording from as many as 60 sites simultaneously.
Since its introduction 30 years ago, the technology and the related culture
methods for electrophysiological cell and tissue assays have been permanently
improved and have found its way into many academic and industrial laboratories.
Currently, increased interest is brought to it by the industrial need
to screen selected compounds against ion channel targets in their native
environment at organic, cellular and sub-cellular level. As the MEA technology
can be applied to any electrogenic tissue, i.e. central and peripheral
neurons, heart cells, and muscle cells, the MEA biosensor is an ideal
in vitro system to monitor both acute and chronic effects of drugs and
toxins and to perform functional studies under physiological or induced
pathophysiological conditions that mimic in vivo damages. By recording
the electrical response of various locations on a tissue, a spatial map
of drug effects at different sites can be generated, providing important
clues about a drug’s specificity.
Stett A., Egert U., Guenther E., Hofmann F., Meyer, T., Nisch, W., Haemmerle, H. (2003). Biological application of microelectrode arrays in drug discovery and basic research. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 377, 486-495. (Review)
Currently, two different technical approaches are pursued:
MEA: Microelectrode arrays, an implementation of passive
metal electrodes, mostly on planar substrates
FET arrays: Integrated field effect transistors in a
silicon substrate.
MEA technology
- Development, manufacturing and application of MEAs at the NMI
www.nmi.de
- Development and distribution of MEA systems by Multi Channel Systems
www.multichannelsystems.com
- Uli Egert’s links to pages related to MEAs
www.brainworks.uni-freiburg.de/group/egert/egert_links.html
- Alfred Stett’s talk about theory of MEA recording and devel-opment
of new-generation MEAs (SIMEA Conference 2003, Denton/Texas)
PDF Download
MEA Applications
- MEA Cardio Sensor
- MEA Retina Sensor
- MEA Neuro Sensor
see Electrophysiology Group at the NMI:
www.nmi.de
- Tutorial by Peter Fromherz on “Neuroelectronic Interfacing:
Semiconductor Chips with Ion Channels, Nerve Cells, and Brain”
www.biochem.mpg.de/mnphys/publications/02fro3/abstract.html
- Infineons Neuro-Chip with 128x128 FET sensors
www.mpg.de/bilderBerichteDokumente/dokumentation/pressemitteilungen/2003/
pressemitteilung20030212/index.html
