Organic biofunctional materials and devices to study neurons and electrofisiology

There is a demand of technologies targeted to provide ad- vance in electrophysiological knowledge on neurons and astrocytes, that might help in understanding brain func- tion/disfunction. In this context, promising opportunities are offered by exploitation of combined functionalities of or- ganic semiconductors films such as softness, optical trans- parency, optoelctronic properties and iono/electronic con- ductivity, in innovative device platform. Recently, by whole- cell patch-clamp recording, extracellular recording, calcium imaging and confocal microscopy investigations, we provide consolidated evidence that, Organic-Cell stimulating and Sensing Transistor architecture (O-CST), based on perylene derivative organic semiconductor, is enabling bidirectional communication with primary neurons with high signal-to- noise ratio. O-CST operation can also stimulate sustained intracellular calcium signalling and whole-cell inward con- ductance in primary astrocytes. The biophysics and phar- macology of astroglial ion channels, underpinning the O-CST evoked response is provided. The perspective offered by com- bination of 2D/3D organic biofunctional interface with or- ganic bioelectronic and light emitting device is discussed un- derlining the potential of the emerging field of organic neuro- optoelectronics.