Sensor-integrated 3D tissue scaffold for physiological interrogations

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Cells and tissues are often cultured outside the living environment (in vitro) to facilitate various studies in disease modeling, drug test and precision medicine. The mechanical and electrical behaviors of a tissue system are two basic physiological properties that indicate the tissue state. Consequently, the real-time monitoring of both parameters in the 3D tissue is important for assessing tissue state and revealing biological mechanisms. A comprehensive assessment requires the knowledge of both parameters at distributed locations buried deep in the tissue, which remains challenging. This project aims to integrate multifunctional bioelectronic sensors in a 3D macroporous scaffold, in which the scaffold provides a 3D microenvironment for tissue culturing whereas the distributed and embedded sensors can real-time monitor both electrical and mechanical responses from the tissue. The developed system can lead to more precise biomedical devices for disease modeling, drug screening, and health diagnostics. The outreach efforts are expected to broaden STEM participation and education. The interdisciplinary research and training will prepare next-generation young minds to entrepreneurial experiences through "Innovation-Challenge Competition". Plans are to create "Women Engineer Day" which will host 15-20 high school girls and to add "Eureka!" program to target middle to high school girls. Understanding physiological and pathological behaviors of live cells in deep tissues can provide both fundamental insights into biological mechanisms and biomedical solutions to diseases. Conventional biosensing technologies, such as optical imaging and planar biochips, are often confined to surface regions. To transcend these limitations, this project aims to develop and validate a novel type of 3D, sensor-innervated, electronic scaffold systems which can enable high-speed and simultaneous measurements of both bioelectrical and biomechanical signals within engineered tissues. The central approach is to employ multi-level hierarchical assemblies to integrate multifunctional biosensors in a programmable 3D scaffold. The developed system will provide a new tool to fundamental studies in cell mechanics and electrophysiology. The research is also expected to lead to translational biochips that can upgrade current single-parameter, planar physiological quantification into multi-parameter, deep-tissue physiological quantifications in engineered tissues.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.