Overview
- Tufts University and the Wyss Institute report creating neurobots by adding neural precursor cells to earlier xenobots, with results published February 20 in Advanced Science.
- Implanted precursors matured into neurons that extended axons and dendrites, expressed synapse-associated proteins, and showed electrical activity by calcium imaging.
- Introducing neurons reshaped the constructs, which tended to grow larger and more elongated and displayed more complex, repeating movement patterns.
- Exposure to pentylenetetrazole altered neurobot movement differently than non-neural biobots, indicating the nascent nervous systems were actively influencing behavior.
- Gene-expression shifts included activation of major brain receptors and visual-perception genes, a preliminary finding as the fully biological, self-healing bots survive about 9–10 days in vitro.