Fusing Sensor Paradigms to Acquire Chemical Information: An Integrative Role for Smart Biopolymeric Hydrogels

Eunkyoung Kim, Yi Liu, Hadar Ben-Yoav, Thomas E. Winkler, Kun Yan, Xiaowen Shi, Jana Shen, Deanna L. Kelly, Reza Ghodssi, William E. Bentley, Gregory F. Payne

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Information Age transformed our lives but it has had surprisingly little impact on the way chemical information (e.g., from our biological world) is acquired, analyzed and communicated. Sensor systems are poised to change this situation by providing rapid access to chemical information. This access will be enabled by technological advances from various fields: biology enables the synthesis, design and discovery of molecular recognition elements as well as the generation of cell-based signal processors; physics and chemistry are providing nano-components that facilitate the transmission and transduction of signals rich with chemical information; microfabrication is yielding sensors capable of receiving these signals through various modalities; and signal processing analysis enhances the extraction of chemical information. The authors contend that integral to the development of functional sensor systems will be materials that (i) enable the integrative and hierarchical assembly of various sensing components (for chemical recognition and signal transduction) and (ii) facilitate meaningful communication across modalities. It is suggested that stimuli-responsive self-assembling biopolymers can perform such integrative functions, and redox provides modality-spanning communication capabilities. Recent progress toward the development of electrochemical sensors to manage schizophrenia is used to illustrate the opportunities and challenges for enlisting sensors for chemical information processing.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2595-2616
Number of pages22
JournalAdvanced healthcare materials
Volume5
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - 26 Oct 2016

Keywords

  • biofabrications
  • electrodepositions
  • hydrogels
  • information processing
  • redox biology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biomaterials
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Pharmaceutical Science

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