FYI: Cyborgs Brains will have ‘Nanotubes’ – The Smart Brain Material!

Research scientists have come up with a new finding, which according to them would describe how a cyborg brain would work. Research done by scientists in Switzerland and Italy has shown that the ideal ‘smart’ brain material for the cyborg brains is nothing else but ‘Carbon nanotubes.’

The new research has shown that carbon nanotubes, which are quite similar to neurons in being highly electrically conductive, form extremely tight contacts with neuronal cell membranes. The edge that carbon nanotubes have over metal electrodes, which are extensively used in research and clinical applications, is that nanotubes can create shortcuts between the distal and proximal compartments of the neurons. This results in enhanced neuronal excitability.

This study, conducted in the laboratory of Neural Microcircuitry at EPFL in Switzerland was led by Michel Giugliano, now an assistant professor at the University of Antwerp and Professor Laura Ballerini, University of Trieste. Giugliano hypothesizes that the nanotubes could be used as a new building block of novel “electrical bypass” systems for treating traumatic injury of the central nervous system.

These carbon nanotubes show promise as a whole new class of “smart” materials for use in a wide range of neuro-prosthetic applications. Giugliano, while explaining the potential usage of tubing said; “This result is extremely relevant for the emerging field of neuro-engineering and neuro-prosthetics." These nanotubes could be also used to replace metal parts in clinical applications such as deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease or severe depression.

(In case you want more information on how cyborgs brains would work, check out the published work in the advance online edition of the journal Natural Nanotechnology -December 21st edition.)