Probing, Manipulating and Understanding Cell-Materials Interfaces to Achieve Electrical Continuity

The next technological revolution will come as we develop the ability to interface natural and synthetic cellular systems (and molecules) with nanoscale electronics to create hybrid cells/materials that communicate electronically (termed Bioelectronics). This new generation of powerful tools will enable measurement, manipulation, control and sensing of biological processes in unprecedented detail and allow new questions and phenomena to be explored. At the same time, the foundational knowledge from these studies will enable the development of new devices that improve human health, impact energy, and the sustain the environment. Bioelectronics will transform human health through the creation of novel hybrid cell-material technologies, and the development of therapeutics (electroceuticals) and disease detection methods (tricorders). It will also yield devices that support new sustainable practices (e.g., synthetic leaf and electro-fermentation).

The first conference on Bioelectronics seeks to establish an interdisciplinary community of scientists and engineers working on problems related to Bioelectronics. Challenges in the emerging field span length scales including the nanoscale structure and chemistry of materials and biomolecules, the macroscopic scale of device function and performance and integration with organisms, and at the mesoscale where organic and synthetic materials are combined with cells and interact.