Micro&nano electronic systems for life sciences

Micro&Nano Electronics are an important asset for the realisation of applications for Life Sciences. This activity is focused on the design and implementation of smart integrated systems for building innovative platforms in particular for cell cultures and Organs on Chip systems. In cell cultures the efficiency of sensors is one of the important features nowadays requested for obtaining integrated and efficient systems. It is so crucial the realisation of smart and integrated electronic interfaces for biosensors, useful in cell culturing in general, and in Organs on Chip in particular. One of the best results obtained (in cooperation with the Khademhosseini Lab, former at MIT/Harvard in Boston, MA, now at UCLA, CA) has been the design and realisation of a soft-robot based on cardiac cells (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ul3bF-KIik). To create life-like movements, living muscle actuator technologies have borrowed inspiration from biomimetic concepts in developing bioinspired robots. In this work, the development of a bioinspired soft robotic system, with integrated self-actuating cardiac muscles on a hierarchically structured scaffold and flexible gold microelectrodes, has been implemented. Inspired by the movement of living organisms, a batoid-fish-shaped substrate was designed, composed of two micropatterned hydrogel layers and two integrated electrodes for the electronic control of the cell culture.

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ERC Sector:

  • PE7_4 (Micro and nano) systems engineering
  • PE7_5 (Micro and nano) electronic, optoelectronic and photonic components

Keywords:

  • Artificial biological organs
  • Organs on Chip
  • Cell Cultures

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