Stanford University researchers have developed “artificial synapses” on a silicon chip.

When an electric field is applied, the neurotransmitter is pumped through an internal pipeline, and a little of it squeezes out of the hole, stimulating nearby neural cells.

This could open the way to neural prosthetic implants that combine chemical and electrical stimulation in one implant. These could interact with cells in more subtle and precise ways.

The most immediate application of the technique could be in tissue research. Drugs could also be delivered to individual cells to tests affects on the nervous system.