Disruptive materials, technologies & approaches to unravel the role of Astrocytes in brain function and dysfunction: towards to Glial interfaces

Accumulating evidence indicates that astrocytes play an important role in brain function. However, scientists lack the appropriate technology to study these cells and unveil their implication in disease. To address this problem, the EU-funded ASTROTECH project will develop tools for recording and manipulating astrocytes, ex vivo, in silico and in pathological models of epilepsy, glioma and depression, including biomaterials and nanostructures for studying these cells in vitro. The project will also train early-stage researchers in biomaterial science, photonics, electronics alongside optogenetics, neuroscience, glial physiology and biology. Collectively, the project’s results and activities will provide a more complete understanding of brain health and disorders and fuel future astrocyte research.