Boğaziçi University Develops Neuroprosthetics for Use in Machine Learning

Neuroprosthetics are one of the important application areas of neurobiology. Thanks to neuroprosthetics designed for people who have lost motor and sensory function, advanced technologies developed through implants placed in patients' brains or nerves allow movement commands generated in neurons to be detected, and by moving a robotic arm, it becomes possible to reach objects, grasp them and use them. Additionally, sensory information can be provided to the nervous system. In today's world where neuroprosthetic technology is developing rapidly with each passing day, a group of scientists from Boğaziçi University, within a consortium that includes researchers from Europe, is conducting research on new technologies in this field. In the project conducted at the Touch Sensation Research Laboratory of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Boğaziçi University, founded by Prof. Dr. Burak Güçlü, a faculty member at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Boğaziçi University, one of the newest technologies in the neuroprosthetics field, "Graphene Technology," is being used. Thanks to this project, which is being carried out within a consortium consisting of researchers from Sweden, Spain, France and Turkey, next-generation bio-compatible electrodes for neuroprosthetics are expected to enter our lives in the near future. Prof. Dr. Güçlü shared important information about graphene technology, which the European Union currently considers one of the most important investment areas in scientific research. Güçlü stated: ''Graphene is the name given to the planar structure of a carbon atom in a single layer with a honeycomb arrangement. We can say it is a form of carbon. It stands out as being 100 times stronger than steel based on its dimensions and for being the thinnest material obtainable to date. Particularly graphene oxide derivatives have numerous applications in technology. For example, it is possible to make transparent flexible electronic circuits, miniature biosensors and drug delivery systems, and to use it as an auxiliary material in tissue regeneration. In our project, we are particularly interested in its use as electrodes in interfaces that will communicate with the brain and nerves"

Future Investment Area: Graphene

Prof. Dr. Burak Güçlü explained the importance of graphene technology in the neuroprosthetics field as follows: "The European Union currently invests most heavily in areas alongside brain research where graphene is used. We are also working with next-generation graphene electrodes within the scope of an ERA-NET call, an EU project of which we are a partner. These are not currently available commercially on the market. For this reason, in previous experiments we always used metal electrodes. Metal electrodes have very good electrical conductivity properties but weak biological compatibility. These rigid materials are not compatible with biological structures that are mobile at the micro level. Even if metals do not cause chemical problems, mechanical friction in tissue causes high immune response and the electrode cannot be used long-term. More flexible and softer materials are being developed rather than metals. Graphene derivatives and conductive polymer materials are currently receiving very intense attention. In the future, interfaces where devices come into contact with our bodies will be made of these materials. Currently graphene technology has reached the stage of being tested in animals. The Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in our GRAFIN project is one of the specialized centers capable of applying this technology to electrodes. The electrodes they produce are being tested on nerves at Spanish partner Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, and at Boğaziçi University on the brain. At Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, electrodes are being used for bone-integrated neuroprosthetics. French partner Axonic is also trying to open up applications of electrodes in terms of neurostimulation devices."