Wireless Micro Antennas Harness Light to Monitor Cellular Signals
MIT researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking biosensing technology using organic electro-scattering antennas (OCEANs), which eliminate the need for wires and amplifiers in monitoring cellular electrical activity. These tiny antennas, constructed from the polymer PEDOT:PSS, detect changes in electrical signals by altering their optical properties, enabling them to scatter light in proportion to the surrounding electrical environment.
Arrays of these antennas, each only a micrometer wide, allow for high-resolution, wireless measurement of electrical signals with extreme sensitivity, capable of detecting voltages as low as 2.5 millivolts. The antennas are fabricated through a scalable process that uses focused ion beams to create nanoscale holes in a glass substrate, followed by a polymer growth phase driven by electric currents. Designed for in vitro studies, OCEANs can continuously record signals for over 10 hours, providing biologists with a powerful tool to study cellular communication and responses to environmental changes. By facilitating wireless and high-throughput data collection, this innovation holds promise for advancing the understanding of biological processes, improving diagnostics, and enabling precise evaluation of therapeutics.
Future developments include testing with live cell cultures, reshaping antennas to penetrate cell membranes, and exploring integration into nanophotonic devices for next-generation sensing applications. Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Swiss National Science Foundation, this research opens new avenues for bioengineering and biotechnology, pushing the boundaries of how electrical signals in biological systems can be studied and harnessed.
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