’Seeing’ robot learns tricky technique for studying brain cells in mammals

Imperial scientists have successfully taught robots to perform a challenging brain technique only previously mastered by a handful of humans. Whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, or whole-cell recording (WCR), is the gold-standard technique for studying the behaviour of brain cells called neurons under different brain states such as stress or learning. The WCR technique is a way to eavesdrop on neurons and see how they communicate with their neighbours. Professor Simon Schultz Department of Bioengineering The procedure has been used in mammals since it was developed in the 1970s. It helps scientists to understand brain function and brain disorders such as Alzheimer's. They do this by looking at the electrical activity of individual neurons in a live mammal brain to build a bigger picture of its function as a whole organ. This information is used to understand the role of electrical function in human brain disorders.