Engineered Nanotopography to Modulate Growth and Signaling of Neuronal Networks

Abstract

In recent years, nanostructures with varying shapes, dimensions, aspect-ratios, and spatial arrangements have been used to modulate neuronal growth and function. However, the influence of specific geometrical parameters of nanostructures on neuronal growth and signaling remains unclear. This work investigates neuronal growth and signaling in response to the geometry of nanostructures with comparable height and spatial arrangement. Specifically, arrays of isotropically arranged indium phosphide (InP) nanostructures were fabricated with a constant height (2.5 µm) and pitch (2 µm), while varying the tip and base diameters from 25 and 550 nm to yield nanoneedles, nanowires and nanopillars. All t..