#Bioelectronic

[johniac]

SciTech Chronicles. . . . . . . . .April 1st, 2025

[mindblowingscience]

For years, Prof. Bozhi Tian's lab has been learning how to integrate the world of electronics—rigid, metallic, bulky—with the world of the body—soft, flexible, delicate. In their latest work, they have created a prototype for what they call "living bioelectronics": a combination of living cells, gel, and electronics that can integrate with living tissue. Their study was published May 30 in Science. The patches are made of sensors, bacterial cells, and a gel made from starch and gelatin. Tests in mice found that the devices could continuously monitor and improve psoriasis-like symptoms, without irritating skin. "This is a bridge from traditional bioelectronics, which incorporates living cells as part of the therapy," said Jiuyun Shi, the co-first author of the paper and a former Ph.D. student in Tian's lab (now with Stanford University).

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[materialsscienceandengineering]

New, more biocompatible materials for bioelectronic applications

Bioelectronics is a field of research in which biology and electronics converge. In medicine, for example, an external electric current is used to cure or monitor diseases of the nervous system, and also to monitor biomarkers in situ. Devices made of conductive materials are used for these applications. The most widely used conductive polymer so far in energy and biomedical applications is PEDOT doped with PSS, known as PEDOT:PSS. Despite its exceptional properties, new conductive materials that can improve some of its limitations, such as biocompatibility, still need to be developed. A study conducted by CIC biomaGUNE's Biomolecular Nanotechnology group is proposing a mechanism for doping PEDOT using a robust engineered protein (PEDOT:Protein); the outcome is a hybrid material with ionic and electronic conductivity, which is quite similar to PEDOT:PSS in some cases. The paper is published in the journal Small.

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[bpod-bpod]

Electrical Orchestration

How hollow organoids – lab-grown 3D tissue models – can be shaped and inflated by external electrical stimulation highlights the role of life's natural bioelectrical systems (as in water regulation) and has potential for applications in fields such as bioengineering and developmental biology

Read the published research article here

Image from work by Gawoon Shim and Isaac B. Breinyn, and colleagues

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Nature Communications, April 2024

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[neosciencehub]

BITS Pilani Researchers Create Sustainable Edible Paste for Bioelectronics @neosciencehub #BITSPilani #Research #Bioelectronics #EdiblePaste #neosciencehub

[10bmnews]

Scientists discover bacteria that 'breathe' electricity instead of oxygen | - The Times of India

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists from Rice University have found a type of bacteria that can survive by releasing electricity instead of relying on oxygen. These microorganisms use a natural process to transfer electrons outside their cells, enabling them to generate energy in oxygen-free environments such as deep-sea vents or the human gut. The finding uncovers a previously hidden…

[goodoldbandit]

The Spark Within: How Electricity Powers the Human Body.

Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo. skm.stayingalive.in Explore how bioelectricity fuels nerves, muscles, heart rhythm, healing, and next‑gen therapies. #bioelectricity #healthtech Lighting the Hidden Power Understanding bioelectricity in life
 Our bodies hum with tiny electric signals that make life possible. #bioelectricity These signals arise when charged ions move across cell…

[oaresearchpaper]

Bioelectronic Systems: A Novel Approach in Controlled Drug Delivery

Abstract

Electronic drug delivery systems (EDDS) are an interesting advancement in drug delivery technology. They are portable, interactive, wirelessly networked, and enable patient-administered medication, which lowers overall healthcare costs. Controlled DDS maintains drug plasma levels constantly by releasing the definite dose of the drug at each time point for a predetermined duration. This helps in reducing the dose and dosing frequency and improves patient compliance. Lesser drug exposure to the biological environment reduces drug toxicity and adverse effects. Among controlled release. Transdermal delivery mode (referred to as patches) is more preferably used among them because of great patient compliance. Bioelectronic systems play a crucial role in electronically controlled drug delivery systems by integrating electronic components with biological systems to deliver drugs with precision and efficiency. Their efficiency is further increased when integrated into remotely operated systems. One of the main motivations for developing EDDS was to increase patient adherence to recommended drug regimens. Moreover, EDDS have demonstrated the ability to administer drugs to specific body locations on demand. This review concentrates on electronic medication delivery systems, despite the fact that there are many different types of drug delivery devices on the market. Along with their mechanism of actions are also discussed.

Introduction

Controlled drug delivery system This is the drug delivery system in which a constant level of a drug is maintained in blood and tissue for an extended period. Controlled DDS maintains drug plasma levels constantly by releasing the definite dose of the drug at each time point for a predetermined duration (Tekade et al., 2018). This helps in reducing the dose and dosing frequency and improves patient compliance. Lesser drug exposure to the biological environment reduces drug toxicity and adverse effects.

Evolution of the controlled release dosage forms First-generation: This generation of dosage forms mainly involves four types of mechanisms for drug release, which include the oral and transdermal formulations. The mechanisms involved are dissolution, osmosis, diffusion, and ion exchange. Diffusion and dissolution-controlled systems are the most widely used mechanisms of drug delivery. The success of the first generation of drugs is mainly the development of the oral and transdermal routes (Park et al., 2014).

Second-generation: These are not widely used. Electrically delivery systems were developed for introducing insulin. Due to its lesser bioavailability, it is administered many times higher per dose than is required, which results in toxicity. In the last decade of the second generation, nanoparticles that target genes and tumors were studied. 

The third generation: involves the delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs, long-term and non-invasive technology for delivering proteins/nucleic acids/peptides, and drug delivery to the targeted site using nanoparticles (Yun et al., 2015).

Formulations of controlled-release medication Oral, intravenous, and transdermal patches are easily developed. Among controlled release, transdermal delivery mode (referred to as patches) is more preferably used among them because of great patient compliance.

Source : Bioelectronic Systems: A Novel Approach in Controlled Drug Delivery | InformativeBD

[mindblowingscience]

The scientific community has long been enamored of the potential for soft bioelectronic devices. But they’ve faced hurdles in identifying materials that are biocompatible and have all of the necessary characteristics to operate effectively. The new research is a step in the right direction. Researchers have modified an existing biocompatible material so that it conducts electricity efficiently in wet environments and can send and receive ionic signals from biological media.

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[electronicslife]

🧬 Hydrogel Semiconductors: A Revolution in Bioelectronics

The future of healthcare is here—and it’s softer, smarter, and more biocompatible than ever. Hydrogel semiconductors are breaking boundaries, merging biology with technology to power next-gen medical devices.

💡 What You’ll Discover in the Article: ��️ How hydrogel semiconductors improve biocompatibility and flexibility ✔️ Applications in implantable devices, biosensors, and wound care ✔️ The challenges and breakthroughs in this exciting field ✔️ How this innovation is set to transform patient outcomes

✨ Why It Matters:

Hydrogel semiconductors closely mimic living tissue, reducing inflammation and improving biosensing.

They open doors to better pacemakers, brain-machine interfaces, and continuous health monitoring.

🔗 Explore the full article and see how this breakthrough is shaping the future of bioelectronics.

Let’s build a healthier tomorrow with cutting-edge technology and innovative thinking.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

New study challenges conventional understanding of charging process in electrochemical devices

A new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge reveals a surprising discovery that could transform the future of electrochemical devices. The findings offer new opportunities for the development of advanced materials and improved performance in fields such as energy storage, brain-like computing, and bioelectronics. Electrochemical devices rely on the movement of charged particles, both ions and electrons, to function properly. However, understanding how these charged particles move together has presented a significant challenge, hindering progress in creating new materials for these devices. In the rapidly evolving field of bioelectronics, soft conductive materials known as conjugated polymers are used for developing medical devices that can be used outside of traditional clinical settings. For example, this type of materials can be used to make wearable sensors that monitor patients' health remotely or implantable devices that actively treat disease. The greatest benefit of using conjugated polymer electrodes for this kind of devices is their ability to seamlessly couple ions, responsible for electrical signals in the brain and body, with electrons, the carriers of electrical signals in electronic devices. This synergy improves the connection between the brain and medical devices, effectively translating between these two types of signals.

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[scientificinquirer-blog]

Bioelectronics Enter A New Era in Skin Tech

For years, Prof. Bozhi Tian’s lab has been learning how to integrate the world of electronics—rigid, metallic, bulky—with the world of the body—soft, flexible, delicate.  In their latest work, they have created a prototype for what they call “living bioelectronics”: a combination of living cells, gel, and electronics that can integrate with living tissue. The patches are made of sensors,…

[jcmarchi]

Tiny magnetic discs offer remote brain stimulation without transgenes

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/tiny-magnetic-discs-offer-remote-brain-stimulation-without-transgenes/

Tiny magnetic discs offer remote brain stimulation without transgenes

Novel magnetic nanodiscs could provide a much less invasive way of stimulating parts of the brain, paving the way for stimulation therapies without implants or genetic modification, MIT researchers report.

The scientists envision that the tiny discs, which are about 250 nanometers across (about 1/500 the width of a human hair), would be injected directly into the desired location in the brain. From there, they could be activated at any time simply by applying a magnetic field outside the body. The new particles could quickly find applications in biomedical research, and eventually, after sufficient testing, might be applied to clinical uses.

The development of these nanoparticles is described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, in a paper by Polina Anikeeva, a professor in MIT’s departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, graduate student Ye Ji Kim, and 17 others at MIT and in Germany.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a common clinical procedure that uses electrodes implanted in the target brain regions to treat symptoms of neurological and psychiatric conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Despite its efficacy, the surgical difficulty and clinical complications associated with DBS limit the number of cases where such an invasive procedure is warranted. The new nanodiscs could provide a much more benign way of achieving the same results.

Over the past decade other implant-free methods of producing brain stimulation have been developed. However, these approaches were often limited by their spatial resolution or ability to target deep regions. For the past decade, Anikeeva’s Bioelectronics group as well as others in the field used magnetic nanomaterials to transduce remote magnetic signals into brain stimulation. However, these magnetic methods relied on genetic modifications and can’t be used in humans.

Since all nerve cells are sensitive to electrical signals, Kim, a graduate student in Anikeeva’s group, hypothesized that a magnetoelectric nanomaterial that can efficiently convert magnetization into electrical potential could offer a path toward remote magnetic brain stimulation. Creating a nanoscale magnetoelectric material was, however, a formidable challenge.

Kim synthesized novel magnetoelectric nanodiscs and collaborated with Noah Kent, a postdoc in Anikeeva’s lab with a background in physics who is a second author of the study, to understand the properties of these particles.

The structure of the new nanodiscs consists of a two-layer magnetic core and a piezoelectric shell. The magnetic core is magnetostrictive, which means it changes shape when magnetized. This deformation then induces strain in the piezoelectric shell which produces a varying electrical polarization. Through the combination of the two effects, these composite particles can deliver electrical pulses to neurons when exposed to magnetic fields.

One key to the discs’ effectiveness is their disc shape. Previous attempts to use magnetic nanoparticles had used spherical particles, but the magnetoelectric effect was very weak, says Kim. This anisotropy enhances magnetostriction by over a 1000-fold, adds Kent.

The team first added their nanodiscs to cultured neurons, which allowed then to activate these cells on demand with short pulses of magnetic field. This stimulation did not require any genetic modification.

They then injected small droplets of magnetoelectric nanodiscs solution into specific regions of the brains of mice. Then, simply turning on a relatively weak electromagnet nearby triggered the particles to release a tiny jolt of electricity in that brain region. The stimulation could be switched on and off remotely by the switching of the electromagnet. That electrical stimulation “had an impact on neuron activity and on behavior,” Kim says.

The team found that the magnetoelectric nanodiscs could stimulate a deep brain region, the ventral tegmental area, that is associated with feelings of reward.

The team also stimulated another brain area, the subthalamic nucleus, associated with motor control. “This is the region where electrodes typically get implanted to manage Parkinson’s disease,” Kim explains. The researchers were able to successfully demonstrate the modulation of motor control through the particles. Specifically, by injecting nanodiscs only in one hemisphere, the researchers could induce rotations in healthy mice by applying magnetic field.

The nanodiscs could trigger the neuronal activity comparable with conventional implanted electrodes delivering mild electrical stimulation. The authors achieved subsecond temporal precision for neural stimulation with their method yet observed significantly reduced foreign body responses as compared to the electrodes, potentially allowing for even safer deep brain stimulation.

The multilayered chemical composition and physical shape and size of the new multilayered nanodiscs is what made precise stimulation possible.

While the researchers successfully increased the magnetostrictive effect, the second part of the process, converting the magnetic effect into an electrical output, still needs more work, Anikeeva says. While the magnetic response was a thousand times greater, the conversion to an electric impulse was only four times greater than with conventional spherical particles.

“This massive enhancement of a thousand times didn’t completely translate into the magnetoelectric enhancement,” says Kim. “That’s where a lot of the future work will be focused, on making sure that the thousand times amplification in magnetostriction can be converted into a thousand times amplification in the magnetoelectric coupling.”

What the team found, in terms of the way the particles’ shapes affects their magnetostriction, was quite unexpected. “It’s kind of a new thing that just appeared when we tried to figure out why these particles worked so well,” says Kent.

Anikeeva adds: “Yes, it’s a record-breaking particle, but it’s not as record-breaking as it could be.” That remains a topic for further work, but the team has ideas about how to make further progress.

While these nanodiscs could in principle already be applied to basic research using animal models, to translate them to clinical use in humans would require several more steps, including large-scale safety studies, “which is something academic researchers are not necessarily most well-positioned to do,” Anikeeva says. “When we find that these particles are really useful in a particular clinical context, then we imagine that there will be a pathway for them to undergo more rigorous large animal safety studies.”

The team included researchers affiliated with MIT’s departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Chemistry, and Brain and Cognitive Sciences; the Research Laboratory of Electronics; the McGovern Institute for Brain Research; and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research; and from the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen, Germany. The work was supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Center for Molecular Therapeutics in Neuroscience.