CAREER: Artificial Extracellular Matrix Biosensors (e-ECM)

Recent wearable biosensors are built on flat, rigid films. The boundary of these biosensors causes an inflammatory response and inaccurate measurements that challenges long-term use and reliability. This proposal aims to develop a soft, bio-integrated monitoring system that recapitulates the properties of native tissue. The flexible, stretchable, porous, and fiber-based biosensors will be designed and validated to critical biomarker concentrations in real time. The educational aspects of the project will focus on creating science-based toys to understand biomedical engineering fundamentals with inexpensive materials. These will be coupled with new educational modules. Undergraduate students and local teachers will help design, test, and disseminate the educational materials. The polymeric substrates of conventional wearable biosensors impede free mass transfer, create shear stress, cause artificial accumulation or depletion of biomarkers, and block heat dissipation, which is a significant challenge in chronic biomedical analysis. This CAREER project aims to advance soft bioelectronics on the artificial extracellular matrix (e-ECM) substrates that consist of an ultrathin, nanofibrous stretchable platform. The proposed e-ECM biosensors can monitor ions, metabolites, biogases, and cytokines for in situ, real-time monitoring under mechanically and chemically hyperdynamic conditions. If successful, this project will achieve new design rules for sustainable and reliable sensing systems for long-term biomedical sensing. The educational objective of the project is cultivating a STEM identity for elementary students through remote-learning biomedical engineering crafting programs emphasizing biomedical devices using fidget toys. The approach relies on developing online hands-on project modules with accessible and affordable materials, having the modules assessed by educational workshops with local STEM teachers, and disseminating the programs to local and global communities. 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.