Silicon Nanowires and Optical Stimulation for Investigations of Intra- and Intercellular Electrical Coupling.

Myofibroblasts can spontaneously internalize silicon nanowires (SiNWs), making them an attractive target for bioelectronic applications. These cell-silicon hybrids offer leadless optical modulation capabilities with minimal perturbation to normal cell behavior. The optical capabilities are obtained by the photothermal and photoelectric properties of SiNWs.

Recent advances in bioelectronics chemistry.

Research in bioelectronics is highly interdisciplinary, with many new developments being based on techniques from across the physical and life sciences. Advances in our understanding of the fundamental chemistry underlying the materials used in bioelectronic applications have been a crucial component of many recent discoveries. In this review, we highlight ways in which a chemistry-oriented perspective may facilitate novel and deep insights into both the fundamental scientific understanding and the design of materials, which can in turn tune the functionality and biocompatibility of bioelectronic devices.

Biological Interfaces, Modulation, and Sensing with Inorganic Nano-Bioelectronic Materials.

The last several years have seen a large and increasing interest in scientific developments that combine methods and materials from nanotechnology with questions and applications in bioelectronics. This follows with a number of broader trends: the rapid increase in functionality for materials at the nanoscale; a growing recognition of the importance of electric fields in diverse physiological processes; and continuous improvements in technologies that are naturally complementary with bioelectronics, such as optogenetics. Here, a progress report is provided on several of the most exciting recent developments in this field.

Silicon Nanowires for Intracellular Optical Interrogation with Subcellular Resolution.

Current techniques for intracellular electrical interrogation are limited by substrate-bound devices, technically demanding methods, or insufficient spatial resolution. In this work, we use freestanding silicon nanowires to achieve photoelectric stimulation in myofibroblasts with subcellular resolution. We demonstrate that myofibroblasts spontaneously internalize silicon nanowires and subsequently remain viable and capable of mitosis.

Living myofibroblast-silicon composites for probing electrical coupling in cardiac systems.

Traditional bioelectronics, primarily comprised of nonliving synthetic materials, lack cellular behaviors such as adaptability and motility. This shortcoming results in mechanically invasive devices and nonnatural signal transduction across cells and tissues. Moreover, resolving heterocellular electrical communication in vivo is extremely limited due to the invasiveness of traditional interconnected electrical probes.

Force localization modes in dynamic epithelial colonies.

Collective cell behaviors, including tissue remodeling, morphogenesis, and cancer metastasis, rely on dynamics among cells, their neighbors, and the extracellular matrix. The lack of quantitative models precludes understanding of how cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions regulate tissue-scale force transmission to guide morphogenic processes. We integrate biophysical measurements on model epithelial tissues and computational modeling to explore how cell-level dynamics alter mechanical stress organization at multicellular scales.

Self-association of water-soluble peptoids comprising (S)-N-1-(naphthylethyl)glycine residues.

Peptoids (N-substituted glycine oligomers) are widely used peptidomimetics, and an enhanced understanding of their structures is needed to expand their utility, particularly in aqueous applications. We report the synthesis and structural study of four water-soluble peptoids that include strongly helix-promoting (S)-N-1-(naphthylethyl)glycine residues. Peptoid structure changes with both peptoid length and solvent composition.