>>13849300>>13849304Well in any case, I can explain for anyone else who happens upon this thread and is interested.
>>13848608 has a pretty good understanding and I would add a bit to it.
Semiconductors are used in bioelectronic measurement devices, because the currents and voltages involved in biological signaling in neurons and cardiac cells are typically very small. (They are on the mVolt level, which translates to the uVolt level when you are collecting the signal through conducting fluids.)
In response, scientists use wires made of highly conducting metals to monitor cell electronic signals, or they use semiconductors. Semiconductors are special because they can be designed so that their resistance changes in response to the electrical signals the cell produces. This property is used to create devices more sensitive to small cell signals.
Additionally, devices which penetrate the cell membrane can measure signals much stronger than those that have to measure signals from outside. However, penetrating a neuron membrane with a device often leads to their premature death. Therefore, in this paper, the Lieber lab developed a way to coat a silicon nanowire device with biomarkers that trick the cell into absorbing it. This allows them to poke the nanowire into the cell without disturbing it as much. I would be curious to see how long the cells survive with these wires inside of them, since the paper doesn't mention much aside from taking 20-40 minute recordings.
Currently this field is quite limited to taking measurements of neuron activity, and trying to make sense of it all. The closest actual developments are probably insights into neuron behavior in response to pharmaceuticals, as well as a better understanding of epilepsy, alzheimers, parkinson's, and other neural diseases. For large scale brain recordings, Neuralink is probably the furthest ahead.
Pic related for proof of my modest experience, a planar microelectrode array I worked a little bit on.
