CAREER: A self-powered biosensing microsystem

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We will fabricate and characterize a self-powered biosensing microsystem that simultaneously generates bioelectricity and monitors glucose. This will be accomplished by using inertial power scavenging design by converting interstitial glucose into energy through the coupling of enzymes and three-dimensional nanowire arrays to potentially power ultra-low power implantable glucose monitors. Intellectual Merit: Continuous, self-powered monitoring of glucose in diabetics is quite important and will save lives. The proposed self-powered biosensing microsystem will monitor sugar levels and it embodies two key new contributions: (1) The approach eliminates the need for a potentiostat circuit and an external power source or batteries, thus leading to dramatic improvements in both speed and energy efficiency. Enzyme biofuel cells based on three-dimensional nanowire anodes fused with an energy harvesting circuit and a capacitor will provide integrated devices that will sense input potential and step up the electric power to operate a light emitting diode. (2) The work is both innovative and transformational, since it will provide an autonomous, self-powered, low-power biosensing microsystem. The biosensing microsystem will generate a drive signal in real-time and periodically power an electrical device solely by generating and accumulating electrical power in the capacitor as a result of the catalysis of glucose oxidation.Broad Impact: Both the research and educational objectives have a significant broader impact.The research addresses a crucial problem in diabetes treatment - a self-powered biosensing microsystem for continuous monitoring of blood glucose. The combination of the two areas; nanowire enzyme-based biofuel cell and biosensing system; can usher in a new era in self-powered biosensor microsystems for glucose monitoring. Demonstration of a self-powered, stable, continuous, long-term biosensing microsystem for glucose could lead to improvement in the quality of life for people with diabetes. The educational component enriches and complements other programs at UMBC that are designed to increase minority and female participation in math and science. The exposure of these students to a real-world problem and its solution will enable them to better appreciate the contribution of scientific research.