Collective Chemo-sensing by Neuronal Spheroids

Understanding how neuronal clusters communicate is fundamental to interpret the principles of neural network organization and information flow. We investigate this problem using KTAR-1 cells, an immortalized kisspeptin (Kiss-1) neuronal line derived from the arcuate nucleus of an adult female mouse. In this study, we use microfluidic devices to explore information transfer between neuronal spheroids, focusing on how physical connectivity and external stimuli influence communication between inter-spheroid and isolated spheroids. Preliminary findings indicate that ATP-mediated stimulation causes significant calcium oscillations, suggesting active communication and dynamic information transfer in monolayers of neuronal cells. Although neuronal spheroids are far simpler than the brain, they offer a controllable platform to study the emergence of learning, intelligence, and information flow in minimal neural systems.