University of Maryland researchers are developing new “biofabrication” procedures that join microelectronics with biological systems. These new procedures could result in new methods to assemble devices and improve communication.
The researchers developed a biological system by electrically mediating the assembly, interrogation and control of a multi-domain fusion protein. Through testing, the researchers were able to demonstrate that complex on-chip biological processes could be controlled with electrical inputs. The new procedures and biological systems could be applied to biohybrid systems for mimicking human physiology.