November 29 - December 2, 2021
Boston, Massachusetts
December 6 - 8, 2021 (Virtual)
2021 MRS Fall Meeting

Symposium SB08-Bioelectronics—Materials and Interfaces

Bioelectronics, a field intended to advance healthcare and to provide tools to further understand physiology and pathology, addresses the interface of biological systems with traditional (opto)electronic materials and devices made thereof. In biological systems, intercellular communication plays a pivotal role in tissue organization and function. Indeed, in their native three-dimensional (3D) environment, cells are intimately connected to each other and to the surrounding matrix, forming a complex microenvironment. In recent years, there has been an immense interest in developing materials and material assemblies that will monitor biological phenomena in a multiscale manner: from the molecular level to cellular networks and organ level, up-to macroscale for wearable compliant and flexible devices. This symposium will broadly cover state-of-the-art as well emerging materials and materials assembly approaches used in bioelectrical interfaces to explore communication between and within cells in their native state and monitor electrophysiological state of the body. The topics that will be covered will vary from polymeric systems to solid state electronic devices, from molecular control of materials properties to the macroscopic assemblies with highly-adjusted functionalities. Bridging the worlds of biology and electronics, this interdisciplinary symposium will bring together the chemical, physical and biological aspects of the current state-of-the-art bioelectronic interfaces.


Topics will include:

  • Understanding the interface between electronic materials and biological systems
  • Novel biocompatible and biodegradable electroactive small molecules and polymers
  • Conducting hydrogels
  • Carbon nanotubes, graphene, and inorganic active materials for bioelectronics
  • Soft materials for interfaces with electroactive cells
  • Flexible, stretchable active/passive materials used in bioelectronics
  • Materials for I/O neuronal interfaces
  • Solid state devices for subcellular interfaces
  • Novel biological signal transduction approaches
  • Devices and materials that combine multiple sensing or stimulation modalities
  • Biologically transient electronics
  • Artificial skins and e-textiles for brain-machine interfacing and health monitoring
  • Biosensing/stimulation devices, and closed loop sensing/stimulation
  • Manufacturing: 3D printing, inkjet printing, electrospinning, laser and mechanical subtractive manufacturing
  • Functional materials: self-healing polymers, conductive composites, fibers, liquid metal alloys, 2D materials, and soft active materials
  • Soft-robotics: materials, manufacturing, and systems

Invited Speakers:

  • Polina Anikeeva (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)
  • Zhenan Bao (Stanford University, USA)
  • Magnus Berggren (Linköping University, Sweden)
  • Christopher Bettinger (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)
  • Kaitlyn Crawford (University of Central Florida, USA)
  • Bianxiao Cui (Stanford University, USA)
  • Michele Dipalo (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy)
  • Mary Donahue (Linköping University, Sweden)
  • Laure Kayser (University of Delaware, USA)
  • Stéphanie Lacour (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)
  • Nanshu Lu (The University of Texas at Austin, USA)
  • George Malliaras (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom)
  • Andreas Offenhäusser (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany)
  • Roisin Owens (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom)
  • Jacob Robinson (Rice University, USA)
  • John Rogers (Northwestern University, USA)
  • Francesca Santoro (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy)
  • Takao Someya (The University of Tokyo, Japan)
  • Eleni Stavrinidou (Linköping University, Sweden)
  • Molly Stevens (Imperial College London, United Kingdom)
  • Bozhi Tian (The University of Chicago, USA)
  • Brian Timko (Tufts University, USA)
  • Luisa Torsi (Universita degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy)
  • Bernhard Wolfrum (Technische Universität München, Germany)
  • Chong Xie (Rice University, USA)

Symposium Organizers

Tzahi Cohen-Karni
Carnegie Mellon University
BME/MSE
USA

Sahika Inal
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division
Saudi Arabia

Jonathan Rivnay
Northwestern University
Biomedical Engineering
USA

Flavia Vitale
University of Pennsylvania
USA

Topics

2D materials bioelectronic biomaterial biomedical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (deposition) electronic structure nanoscale