Electronic ion pump transmits signals nearly as quickly as neurons do

IEEE Spectrum : Neurons use a chemical signaling process that is exceptionally quick, which allows neurotransmitters to be passed between cells in as little as 10 ms. Now, Daniel Simon of Linköping University in Sweden and his colleagues have created an organic electronic ion pump that uses electric fields to move charged particles across a thin film almost as quickly as neuron transmissions. The pump is 2.5 cm long and was created using photolithography to layer metal and polymer channels onto glass. Electrical currents push charged particle neurotransmitters along six paths. Flipping a switch applies a second electric field to a specific path, which causes the charged particles to shoot through an outlet and on to their destination. In tests with acetylcholine, the scientists were able to get the neurotransmitter to its destination in less than 50 ms.