Neuronal Cells and Semiconductor Chips Were Successfully Integrated

German scientists successfully integrated living neuronal cells and semiconductor chips.

British PA News reported on Oct. 28 that Dr. Peter Frommhertz and Dr. Gunter Jeck at the Maxfrank Biochemistry Research Institute in Germany had developed a `neuronal chip` by integrating neuronal cells extracted from snails and silicone chips.

This neuronal chip is such that neuronal cells have been cultivated inside the chip, and has a circuit structure in which an electric signal sent from the chip to a neuronal cell is delivered to the next neuronal cells through synapsys (neuronal cell stimulus delivery system) successively and returns to the chip finally.

This chip has a `fence` that keeps the cells within, so the integration of cells and chip is preserved even when the cells grow.

PA News analyzed, citing scientists, ``This research will provide a significant clue to the integration of computers and human brains and to the development of an artificial organ which is to be transplanted into the human body when a body part such as the spine or an eye is damaged.``

Seoul National University Computer Science Department Professor Chang Byung-Tak said, ``Neuronal cells of the living send electric-chemical signals as semiconductor chips do, and the research team has supposedly succeeded in controlling and integrating the electric-chemical signals of silicone chips and the signals of neuronal cells.``

sechepa@donga.com