Detection, Stimulation, and Inhibition of Neuronal Signals with High-Density Nanowire Transistor Arrays

We report electrical properties of hybrid structures consisting of arrays of nanowire field-effect transistors integrated with the individual axons and dendrites of live mammalian neurons, where each nanoscale junction can be used for spatially resolved, highly sensitive detection, stimulation, and/or inhibition of neuronal signal propagation. Arrays of nanowire-neuron junctions enable simultaneous measurement of the rate, amplitude, and shape of signals propagating along individual axons and dendrites. The configuration of nanowire-axon junctions in arrays, as both inputs and outputs, makes possible controlled studies of partial to complete inhibition of signal propagation by both local electrical and…