Cell-based Biocomputing

Tremendous progress in materials science and electronic engineering has lead to the development of stretchable, flexible electronics, optimized for interfacing with soft materials.

This is an important step towards developing next generation human/machine interfaces. To apply this progress to living tissues, and even achieve cellular computational functionalities, a new and more fundamental approach is needed.

We aim to engineer mammalian cell-based logic device analogues with potential applications including treating limb loss, musculoskeletal disorders, and body augmentation. Muscle cells, being both electrically and mechanically responsive, are the ideal candidate for our novel approach to information processing. Our ultimate goal is creating cell-based biocomputing networks that can be used for interfacing living tissue with more traditionally manufactured electronic and mechanical devices, or as control units for biosensors or artificial bioactuator-based systems.