Abstract
Understanding and control of functional roles in the central nervous systems are important themes in the field of neuroscience and neuroengineering. In particular, development of recording and analysis methods for neuronal networks which consist of enormous numbers of neurons has been major challenge. We have carried out recording and regulation of networks of cortical neurons reconstructed in vitro using microfabrication techniques, in order to figure out the developmental changes in neuronal networks. Here, we attempt to introduce our recent experiments and results: 1) Characterization of self-organization processes in cultured cortical networks during development, 2) Evaluation and control of stem cell-derived neuronal networks and 3) Development of artificial cultured neuronal networks in structures and functions using microfabrication and microfluidics techniques.
