Science Cafe Orlando

Advances in cell culture technology have enabled researchers to grow neural material outside of the brain. This neural material can be shaped into neural networks through chemical patterning techniques, networks which can be grown on electrode grids called Micro Electrode Arrays. These networks can then be used as drug testing beds and as research tools to explore plasticity with a high degree of finesse and granularity. The techniques provide important opportunities to move away from the practical and moral challenges associated with human and animal models in neuroscience research.

Max Jackson is a masters student in BioTechnology at the University of Central Florida where he focuses his research on neural-machine interfacing. He is President of the UCF Synthetic Biology Club, and the Graduate President of the Central Florida Society for Neuroscience. Prior to graduate school, Max worked for a mobile-learning application development company. He enjoys reading the classics and philosophy literature in his free time.