“MIT engineers have developed a microfluidic device that replicates the neuromuscular junction - the vital connection where nerve meets muscle. The device, about the size of a U.S. quarter, contains a single muscle strip and a small set of motor neurons. Researchers can influence and observe the interactions between the two, within a realistic, three-dimensional matrix. The researchers genetically modified the neurons in the device to respond to light. By shining light directly on the neurons, they can precisely stimulate these cells, which in turn send signals to excite the muscle fiber. The researchers also measured the force the muscle exerts within the device as it twitches or contracts in response.”
Related Content
Related Posts:
- MIT engineers 3D print the electromagnets at the heart of many electronics
- MIT scientists use a new type of nanoparticle to make vaccines more powerful
- Researchers discover new channels to excite magnetic waves with terahertz light
- Researchers harness 2D magnetic materials for energy-efficient computing
- This tiny, tamper-proof ID tag can authenticate almost anything
- Accelerating AI tasks while preserving data security
- Engineers develop an efficient process to make fuel from carbon dioxide
- New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses
- Physicists trap electrons in a 3D crystal for the first time
- Team engineers nanoparticles using ion irradiation to advance clean energy and fuel conversion