Researchers from the University of Virginia Medical School have won the PI (Physik Instrumente) NanoInnovation Grant
Andrea Lelli, Eric A Stauffer and Jeffrey R Holt, Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia Medical School have won the USD25,000 PI (Physik Instrumente) NanoInnovation Grant for a research proposal entitled 'A Fast Mechanical Nanostimulator to Study Sensory Transduction and Amplification in the Inner Ear'.
Hair cells are mechano transducers located in the sensory portion of the inner ear.
The hair cells transform high frequency nanometric mechanical displacements into electrical signals that are then transmitted to the brain.
Many aspects of hair cell function remain unknown because biophysical studies of hair cell mechanotransduction have been limited by unreliable and slow methods for stimulus delivery.
Lelli, Stauffer and Holt will build a nanostimulator using PI piezo actuators and a 3-axis piezo nanopositioning stage (Nanocube) that can reliably stimulate sensory hair cells at frequencies up to 10kHz with motions that range from a couple of nanometres to a couple microns.
Problems with hearing and balance are one of the most common sensory deficits worldwide.
The research work aims to provide the foundation for understanding the normal physiology and the pathophysiolgy of the inner ear which will facilitate the design of rational strategies to treat inner ear dysfunction.
