X. Jiang
Tufts University,
United States
Keywords: bioimaging,biomachinery
Summary:
The seamless integration of electronic and biological machinery could lead to platforms capable of effectively probing, interrogating and directing biologically significant processes, as well as novel bio-inspired systems/device concepts for a range of engineering applications. The intrinsic mismatch in physical/chemical properties at biotic/abiotic interfaces, however, has made the seamless integration and signal transduction challenging. In this talk, I will present our recent effort in accommodating this mismatch through the design and development of: (1) hybrid electronics, where living transducers, such as functional biomolecules, organelles, or cells, are integrated with field-effect transistors using spatially-defined, biocompatible hydrogel as the interfacing material; and (2) biosynthetic electronics, where bio-derived electron pathways are utilized to bridge the gap between internal biological and external electrical circuits. These bio-integratable, living technologies are expected to fill the gap between biotic and abiotic systems and enable new opportunities in biomedical sensing, cell/tissue engineering, and hybrid information processing.