BEL News Archive

Synchronized combination of atomic force microscopy, high-density microelectrode array, and fluorescence microscopy developed. System can mechanically characterize and stimulate individual neurons at picoNewton force sensitivity and nanometer precision while monitoring electrophysiological activity at sub-cellular spatial and millisecond temporal resolution.

New 2D human-derived cell-culture model developed and electrophysiologically characterized, which led to discovery of new protein, neuronal pentraxin 2 (NPTX2), playing an important role in neurodegenerative diseases amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLS).

Newly developed machine-learning-assisted platform DeePhys enables phenotypic electrophysiological screenings at the cellular and network level, identification of reliable features to classify healthy and mutant neuron lines, and comprehensive evaluation of pharmacological interventions.

Novel intestine-on-chip microfluidic system for in‑vitro recapitulation of intestinal barrier. System enables simultaneous multiparameter investigations of role of different immune cell types through high-resolution microscopy, analysis of cell surface markers, and chemo/cytokine profiling.

Oliver Brand Memorial Lecture titled "Microphysiological systems and highly integrated microelectrode arrays" held by A. Hierlemann at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, USA.

Swiss 3Rs Young Investigator Award by the Swiss 3R Competence Center to Wei Wei and coworkers for paper "3D in vitro blood-​brain-barrier model for investigating barrier insults" in Advanced Science.

Electrode connector based on an ultra-conformable thin-film electrode array was developed that self-assembles onto silicon microelectrode arrays enabling high channel counts at a millimeter scale. Interconnects were formed using microfabricated electrode pads suspended by thin support arms.

Characterization of synaptic integration in large and active networks of cultured neurons by using simultaneous patch-clamp and large-scale extracellular recordings. Development of a method to distinguish excitatory and inhibitory inputs to postsynaptic cells.

Novel microfluidic BBB platform consisting of human cerebral endothelial cells, primary pericytes and astrocytes in 3D arrangement and featuring integrated, transparent electrodes for monitoring barrier tightness in real time at high resolution.

Microphysiological drug-testing platform developed that enables co-culturing and controlled interaction of patient-derived leukemia cells, human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells, and human liver microtissues within the same microfluidic system.

Instead of a Christmas dinner, we went to Arlesheim into the curling hall to further physical and mental fitness.

Alumni and coworkers of BEL and PEL (former group of Prof. H. Baltes) met for a day to talk about emerging topics in science.

Dandelion Entrepreneurship Award to recognize professors for outstanding efforts to promote entrepreneurship at ETH Zurich for A. Hierlemann.

Arrays of hundreds of porous Pt-black-coated electrodes can be used to simultaneously record intracellular-like signals of cardiomyocytes at large scale repeatedly over extended periods of time.

Wei Wei received best-poster Award at Microfluidics conference, organized by European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg, Germany for his contribution titled: "3D in vitro blood-brain-barrier model with integrated TEER-sensor for investigating the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia".