ARTIFICIAL

NERVE

Group Members:
Jasper Dy
Kyle Patrick Pira
Angelo Christian

Science and technology

Pre-Dentistry
Introduction
Oxford university scientists have created
synthetic tissues that can be activated by
light to mimic biological behavior
including the electrical signaling that takes
place in the nervous system.
Michael Booth, the lead author of the
research, said the team wanted to develop a
way to study how cells interact or even to
control living tissues. These synthetic
tissues may be developed into a biomaterial
that could help repair the nervous system.
The tissues are made of hundreds of
artificial cells that each have the
biochemical machinery of life in the form of
genes and proteins.

The technique for building them combines

an innovative form of miniaturized 3D
printing, which lays down the cells, with
complex chemistry that gives them their
biological properties.
The 3D printing technology makes synthetic
cells that are less than a tenth of millimeter
across.
Their outer membranes are made of fatty
lipids; the inner contents include DNA,
proteins and other biological molecules in a
water-based liquid. More than 1,000
synthetic cells can be combined, to form
soft cuboid blocks of tissue up to half a
millimeter long.
By attaching light-activated DNA switches
to genes, the researchers have made the
synthetic cells produce more than 10
proteins, but only when illuminated.
Biological activity stops as soon as the light
goes out.
The most significant protein produced so
far is a membrane pore called alpha-HL
which enables pulses of electricity to pass
through the tissue. The researchers can
control this neuronal transmission by
switching light on and off a synthetic
version of the experimental neuroscience
procedure called optogenetics.

Artificial Nerves on Prosthetic limbs to

restore touch: A method for restoring
feeling and action to amputees and others
who have lost their sense of touch has been
established through research published in
Proceedings of National Academy of
Science (PNAS) today.
By connecting artificial limbs to brains via
electrodes, the research mimicked the
feeling of a real hand. Experts say this is a
significant step towards lifelike artificial
hands, but warn that human trials are some
way off.
The part of the brain responsible for touch
is known as the somatosensory cortex,
which contains a map of the human body.
The study shows that parts of the cortex are
highly specific, and can even discern
between different fingers.
When a part of the body touches something,
the corresponding part in the cortex tells us
when and where. It also communicates
pressure.
Together these three pieces of information -
timing, location, and pressure - allow us to
perform actions.
Gregg Tabot and Dr Sliman Bensmaia -
authors on the study from the University of
California - explained:
Contact location is important because, for
example, when we grasp an object, the
thumb and at least one other finger must be
contacting it. Contact pressure is important
because you need to apply enough pressure
on the object so as to not drop it but not so
much that you crush it.
"Contact timing is important because, when
you reach towards an object to grasp it, you
preshape your hand; the instant you touch
the object, you stop reaching and finish
grasping.
Previous research has found that, by
stimulating parts of the somatosensory
cortex, scientists could mimic the sense of
touch. But no-one had applied these
findings to prosthetic limbs, until now.
In the study, Rhesus macaques - a type of
monkey - had their brains surgically
connected to an artificial fingertip equipped
with sensors.
The researchers then poked the artificial
finger. By converting pressure to an electric
signal, and then sending that signal to the
macaques brain, the finger mimicked a
sense of touch.
The study also compared the artificial finger
to the macaques own fingers. They found
that the macaques responded in the same
way to feeling in the artificial finger as in
their real fingers.
The researchers also found that by
increasing the strength of the electric signal,
they could vary the pressure sensed by the
macaques.
Mr Tabbot and Dr Bensmaia said the
research paves the way for human trials.
But Dr Rami Khushaba at the University of
Technology, Sydney, said the need for
invasive brain surgery means human trials
could be some way off, and further research
is needed.
The researchers justified the risk by
sensory restoration, particularly in spinal
cord injury patients, for whom many less-
invasive options are not available.
"Future tests should also include
experiments conducted on the long term
effects of these surgeries on the
performance of the amputees and if such
surgeries could induce any side effects.
Dr Stephen Redmond at the University of
New South Wales, who also works on
prosthetic limbs, says the field faces large
challenges:
There are few commercially available
sensors which are capable of replicating the
density and variety of tactile receptors in
the human hand.
"We have about 2,000 in each fingertip, and
four different receptor types.
He said there were also several options less
invasive than surgery, such as attaching
electrodes to parts of the nervous system
outside the brain.

ADVANTAGES
The biggest pro is that it extends human
lifespan.

It can really make a difference to the

victims and the people around them.

This will help change the world.

 There will be no limit to what people can
do.

It is a self confidence booster.

Another big step in humanity and

technology.

Will cure a lot of people.

This will help develop a new out breaking

research about nerves and life in general.

Might be the first step to immortality.

DISADVANTAGES
It will be very expensive.
 Only the rich will have the access to
it.

People will abuse this.

We still dont know the long term

effects.

It still needs more research and

testing.

Can cause World War.

Large complexity of network

structure.

Requires a lot of trial and error so it

is time consuming.

Sources:
 http://theconversation.com/artificial-nerves-in-
prosthetic-limbs-to-restore-touch-study-19144

https://www.google.com.ph/amp/s/amp.ft.com/conten
t/92cc1f70-f737-11e5-96db-fc683b5e52db