Description du projet
Des nanocristaux semi-conducteurs non toxiques stimulent et enregistrent l’activité neuronale
La possibilité de «voir» l’activité dynamique à grande échelle des neurones et de leurs réseaux constitue un outil important qui vient compléter les méthodes électrophysiologiques bien établies d’enregistrement du courant et de la tension. Les nanotechnologies ont permis de faire progresser les approches optiques. À titre d’exemple, des nanocristaux semi-conducteurs, notamment des points quantiques, ont été utilisés avec succès comme capteurs de tension fluorescents pour signaler les variations de tension dans les neurones avec une très haute précision temporelle. Les points quantiques à base de cadmium ont été les premiers disponibles dans le commerce, toutefois le cadmium peut se révéler toxique pour les cellules. Le projet iNano, financé par l’UE, met au point de nouveaux nanocristaux semi-conducteurs en phosphure d’indium, très performants et sûrs, pour éclairer le chemin vers les neurones et les «activer».
Objectif
"The main goal of the iNano project is the development of a new synthesis approach for Indium phosphide (InP)-based semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), which will be used to record and stimulate neuron activity in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron cells.
Although Cd-based NCs are well studied, their application in commercial products is hampered by the presence of the toxic heavy metal ion cadmium. Due to similar optical properties InP NCs are a promising alternative but still facing three major challenges in their synthesis: i) polydispersity, ii) NCs with PL in the NIR region and iii) synthesis of multidimensional NCs. In the iNano project a new synthesis protocol will be established based on a seeded-growth method, which will allow the preparation of monodisperse isotropic and for the first time also of anisotropic InP based NCs. This will be possible by the use of heteroelement seeds (zinc chalcogenides), whose structures govern the InP growth kinetics and shape. The dependency of the PL on the thickness of the InP layer will allow to push the PL to the NIR. By in depth photophysical characterization on the ensemble and single-particle level and also regarding their non-linear properties, unique insights will be gained leading to a better understanding of the optoelectronic transitions and the influence of the shape on the optical properties.
iNano will shed a first light into the versatility of the InP NCs for neuroscience, investigating their performance under one-photon and multiphoton excitation to record and stimulate neuron activity. Due to the higher voltage sensitivity, better chemical stability, and negligible photobleaching effects, these nanomaterials are more attractive than up to know used tools for the measurement of the electric field generated by an action potential. The lower toxicity of the InP NCs will making the here developed protocols of high interest to neuroscientist and for the Eu initiative ""Human Brain Project""."
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiology
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrypost-transition metals
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialsnanocrystals
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinateur
12205 Berlin
Allemagne