MIT engineers have pushed the envelope of biological monitoring by creating a new class of tiny, light-based wireless antennas that could revolutionize how we understand cellular communication. These devices, which detect electrical signals in a non-invasive and highly precise manner, hold promise for advancing the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as arrhythmia and Alzheimer’s, as highlighted in a recent report from MIT News.
Traditionally tethered to cumbersome wires, electrodes within current biosensing devices limit spatial resolution making the researchers to capture a limited scope of cell signaling information. By contrast, the wire-free approach deployed by MIT's team leverages antennas that use light to discern minute electrical signals, offering a panoramic view into the cellular conversations that govern biological functions. According to Benoît Desbiolles, a former MIT postdoc and lead author of the study, "Being able to record the electrical activity of cells with high throughput and high resolution remains a real problem. We need to try some innovative ideas and alternate approaches," he conveyed in a statement obtained by MIT News.
The antennas, termed organic electro-scattering antennas (OCEANs), function by responding to electrical changes in cells which, in turn, alter how light is scattered through a polymer known as PEDOT:PSS. With an array of these nanoscale devices, just one-hundredth the width of a human hair, scientists can now capture detailed electrical signals passed between cells, drastically enhancing spatial resolution. "Bioelectricity is fundamental to the functioning of cells and different life processes. However, recording such electrical signals precisely has been challenging," Deblina Sarkar, MIT Media Lab assistant professor and senior author of the study, told MIT News while underscoring the technological breakthrough presented by OCEANs.
Designing and constructing the antennas involves sophisticated nanofabrication techniques at the MIT.nano facilities. Starting with a glass substrate, the team deposits layers of material meticulously, and using a focused ion beam, they etch into those layers, eventually attracting precursor polymer material into these etched spots, from which the mushroom-shaped antennas grow. Herein, the process is surprisingly quick and scalable, hinting at potential mass production capabilities. "This instrument is basically like a pen where you can etch anything with a 10-nanometer resolution," mentioned Desbiolles in the MIT News article.
The research team, keen on expanding the OCEANs capabilities, plans to adapt the antennas to not just sit atop cells but to penetrate cell membranes for even more detailed signal detection. Additionally, the integration of OCEANs into nanophotonic devices that manipulate light on a nanoscale heralds a new era of sensor and optical devices. This groundbreaking work is supported in part by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Swiss National Science Foundation, exemplifying the international investment in cutting-edge biomedical innovation.
