Biostack: Nontoxic Metabolite Detection from Live Tissue

Funder: ANR‐TFunder: IONOSENSEAbstract: There is increasing demand for direct in situ metabolite monitoring from cell cultures and in vivo using implantable devices. Electrochemical biosensors are commonly preferred due to their low‐cost, high sensitivity, and low complexity. Metabolite detection, however, in cultured cells or sensitive tissue is rarely shown. Commonly, glucose sensing occurs indirectly by measuring the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, which is a by‐product of the conversion of glucose by glucose oxidase. However, continuous production of hydrogen peroxide in cell media with high glucose is toxic to adjacent cells or tissue. This challenge is overcome through a novel, stacked enzyme configuration. A primary enzyme is used to provide analyte sensitivity, along with a secondary enzyme which converts H2O2 back to O2. The secondary enzyme is functionalized as the outermost layer of the device. Thus, production of H2O2 remains local to the sensor and its concentration in the extracellular environment does not increase. This “biostack” is integrated with organic electrochemical transistors to demonstrate sensors that monitor glucose concentration in cell cultures in situ. The “biostack” renders the sensors nontoxic for cells and provides highly sensitive and stable detection of metabolites

INTEGRATION DE PROTEINES DANS DES TRANSISTORS ELECTROCHIMIQUES ORGANIQUES POUR DES APPLICATIONS DE BIOSENSEURS.

The rising field of bioelectronics, which couples the realms of electronics and biology, holds huge potential for the development of novel biomedical devices for therapeutics and diagnostics. Organic electronic devices are particularly promising; the use of robust organic electronic materials provides an ideal bio-interface due to their reported biocompatibility, and mechanical matching between the sensor element and the biological environment, are amongst the advantages unique to this class of materials. One promising device emerging from this field is the organic electrochemical transistor (OECT). The OECT combines properties and characteristics that can be tuned for a wide spectrum of biological applications. These applications have allowed the development of OECTs to sense local ionic/biomolecular and single cell activity, as well as characterization of tissue and even monitoring of function of whole organs. The OECT is an extremely versatile device that emerges as an important player for therapeutics and diagnostics.The use of organic materials, such as conducting polymers, makes the OECT tunable for a wide range of applications. For example, OECTs have been used for sensing applications. A representative example is the glucose sensor. The OECT has been used as glucose sensor and has shown high sensitivities and low limit of detection for concentrations at the nanomolar range. However, apart from high sensitivities, stability and reproducibility are common necessities for long term applications. For example, it is of equal importance for these sensors to continuously record variations of glucose for diabetic patients, since multiple measurements per day without failure are necessary. Additionally, stability is necessary for implantable sensors. For brain cells such as neurons, glucose is the main energy source. Thus recording modulations of glucose levels before or during an epileptic crisis will enhance our understanding of this disease. Long-term stabilities for these sensors can be achieved through biofunctionalization, which is a method to attach a biomolecule to a device. For long term applications a covalent binding of the biomolecule is preferred. Biofunctionalization of conducting polymers, which are used as active materials in OECTs, is a mandatory step that can enhance OECT properties such as biocompatibility, stability, and functionality. In this work, different biofunctionalization methods of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with tosylate anions (PEDOT:TOS) or doped with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) have been explored. The biofunctionalization methods have led to improvements for different applications such as better interfaces with living cells, and better stability for enzymatic sensors. Additionally, we have employed the use of ionic liquids in combination with cross-linkable polymers as alternative solid state electrolytes. These electrolytes are improving the stability of recordings in electrophysiology. Finally, in vitro measurements of metabolic activities in cells have been explored. The monitoring of glucose uptake and its conversion to lactate is a sensitive indicator of the viability of these cells. Furthermore, in the presence of toxic compounds and pathogens, the nature or kinetics of these metabolic activities is getting affected. Therefore, OECTs used for glucose and lactate sensing can at the same time be used for Immunosensing.Le domaine de la bioélectronique, qui couple l'électronique et la biologie, présente un fort potentiel pour le développement de nouveaux outils biomédicaux. Les dispositifs à base d’électronique organique sont particulièrement prometteurs; l'utilisation de ces matériaux organiques confère une interface idéale entre les mondes biologique et électronique en raison de leur biocompatibilité et de leur possible grande flexibilité. Le transistor électrochimique organique (OECT) représente un dispositif prometteur dans ce domaine. Des OECT ont par exemple été intégrés dans des systèmes permettant de détecter localement l’activité ionique/biomoléculaire, de mesurer l'activité d'une cellule unique, mais aussi d’effectuer la caractérisation de tissus et le suivi du fonctionnement d’organes entiers. L'OECT est un dispositif extrêmement polyvalent qui apparaît comme un outil thérapeutique et de diagnostic de première importance. L'utilisation de matériaux organiques tels que les polymères conducteurs, rend l‘OECT adaptable pour une large gamme d'applications. Un exemple représentatif est le capteur de glucose. L'OECT, en raison de ses propriétés d'amplification, peut augmenter ces courants de plusieurs ordres de grandeurs. Utilisé comme capteur de glucose, il montre une forte sensibilité et des limites de détection des concentrations de l’ordre du nanomolar. Cependant, en dehors d’une meilleure précision de mesure, la stabilité est nécessaire pour les applications à long terme. Par exemple, ces capteurs se doivent d'enregistrer en continu les variations de glycémie chez des personnes pendant plusieurs jours et sans défaillance. Le glucose est la source d'énergie principale du cerveau. Ainsi, l'enregistrement de la modulation des niveaux de glucose avant et/ou pendant la crise d'épilepsie peut donner beaucoup d'informations dans la compréhension de cette maladie. Pour des applications à long termes, une liaison covalente de la biomolécule est préférable.La biofonctionnalisation des polymères conducteurs, qui sont utilisés comme matières actives dans les OECTs, est une étape obligatoire qui mettra en évidence les propriétés de l’OECT telles que la biocompatibilité, la stabilité, et la fonctionnalité. Dans ce travail, des méthodes de biofonctionnalisation du poly (3,4-éthylènedioxythiophène) dopé avec des anions de tosylate (PEDOT: TOS) ou dopé avec du poly (styrène sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) ont été développéeset ont conduitsent à des améliorations telles que la biocompatibilité accrue avec les cellules et à une stabilité accrue pour les applications de détection. En outre, nous avons étudié l'utilisation de liquides ioniques en combinaison avec des polymères réticulables comme alternatives aux électrolytes conventionnelles. Ces gels ioniques électrolytes ont amélioré la stabilité des enregistrements électrophysiologiques. Enfin, des mesures in vitro de l'activité métabolique de la cellule ont été effectuées. Le suivi de l'absorption du glucose et de la conversion en lactate fournit des informations sur la santé des cellules et comment ses activités métaboliques sont affectées par la présence de composés toxiques et d’agents pathogènes

An electronic proton-trapping ion pump for selective drug delivery

The organic electronic ion pump (OEIP) delivers ions and charged drugs from a source electrolyte, through a charge-selective membrane, to a target electrolyte upon an electric bias. OEIPs have successfully delivered γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that reduces neuronal excitations, in vitro, and in brain tissue to terminate induced epileptic seizures. However, during pumping, protons (H+), which exhibit higher ionic mobility than GABA, are also delivered and may potentially cause side effects due to large local changes in pH. To reduce the proton transfer, we introduced proton traps along the selective channel membrane. The traps are based on palladium (Pd) electrodes, which selectively absorb protons into their structure. The proton-trapping Pd-OEIP improves the overall performance of the current state-of-the-art OEIP, namely, its temporal resolution, efficiency, selectivity, and dosage precision.Funding agencies:Swedish Foundation for Strategic ResearchSwedish Foundation for Strategic Research; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission; Advanced Functional Materials SFO-Center at Linkoping University; Onnesjo Foundation; Knut and Alice W</p

Seamless integration of bioelectronic interface in an animal model via in vivo polymerization of conjugated oligomers

Leveraging the biocatalytic machinery of living organisms for fabricating functional bioelectronic interfaces, in vivo, defines a new class of micro-biohybrids enabling the seamless integration of technology with living biological systems. Previously, we have demonstrated the in vivo polymerization of conjugated oligomers forming conductors within the structures of plants. Here, we expand this concept by reporting that Hydra, an invertebrate animal, polymerizes the conjugated oligomer ETE-S both within cells that expresses peroxidase activity and within the adhesive material that is secreted to promote underwater surface adhesion. The resulting conjugated polymer forms electronically conducting and electrochemically active μm-sized domains, which are inter-connected resulting in percolative conduction pathways extending beyond 100 μm, that are fully integrated within the Hydra tissue and the secreted mucus. Furthermore, the introduction and in vivo polymerization of ETE-S can be used as a biochemical marker to follow the dynamics of Hydra budding (reproduction) and regeneration. This work paves the way for well-defined self-organized electronics in animal tissue to modulate biological functions and in vivo biofabrication of hybrid functional materials and devices.Funding agencies: European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [800926]; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission [VR-2017-04910]; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut &amp; Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF)Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research; European Research Council (ERC)European Research Council (ERC)European Commission [834677]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Advanced Functional Materials at Linkoping University (Faculty Grant SFO-Mat-LiU) [2009-00971]; MultiPark - A Strategic Research Area at Lund University; MIURMinistry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) [SHARID - ARS01-01270]</p

Enzymatically Polymerized Organic Conductors on Model Lipid Membranes

Seamless integration between biological systems and electrical components is essential for enabling a twinned biochemical-electrical recording and therapy approach to understand and combat neurological disorders. Employing bioelectronic systems made up of conjugated polymers, which have an innate ability to transport both electronic and ionic charges, provides the possibility of such integration. In particular, translating enzymatically polymerized conductive wires, recently demonstrated in plants and simple organism systems, into mammalian models, is of particular interest for the development of next-generation devices that can monitor and modulate neural signals. As a first step toward achieving this goal, enzyme-mediated polymerization of two thiophene-based monomers is demonstrated on a synthetic lipid bilayer supported on a Au surface. Microgravimetric studies of conducting films polymerized in situ provide insights into their interactions with a lipid bilayer model that mimics the cell membrane. Moreover, the resulting electrical and viscoelastic properties of these self-organizing conducting polymers suggest their potential as materials to form the basis for novel approaches to in vivo neural therapeutics

Delivery of Cargo with a Bioelectronic Trigger

Biological systems exchange information often with chemical signals. Here, we demonstrate the chemical delivery of a fluorescent label using a bioelectronic trigger. Acid-sensitive microparticles release fluorescin diacetate upon low pH induced by a bioelectronic device. Cardiac fibroblast cells (CFs) uptake fluorescin diacetate, which transforms into fluorescein and emits a fluorescent signal. This proof-of-concept bioelectronic triggered delivery may be used in the future for real-time programming and control of cells and cell systems

Method Matters : Exploring Alkoxysulfonate-Functionalized Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and Its Unintentional Self-Aggregating Copolymer toward Injectable Bioelectronics

Injectable bioelectronics could become an alternative or a complement to traditional drug treatments. To this end, a new self-doped p- type conducting PEDOT-S copolymer (A5) was synthesized. This copolymer formed highly water-dispersed nanoparticles and aggregated into a mixed ion-electron conducting hydrogel when injected into a tissue model. First, we synthetically repeated most of the published methods for PEDOT-S at the lab scale. Surprisingly, analysis using high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectroscopy showed that almost all the methods generated PEDOT-S derivatives with the same polymer lengths (i.e., oligomers, seven to eight monomers in average); thus, the polymer length cannot account for the differences in the conductivities reported earlier. The main difference, however, was that some methods generated an unintentional copolymer P(EDOT-S/EDOT-OH) that is more prone to aggregate and display higher conductivities in general than the PEDOT-S homopolymer. Based on this, we synthesized the PEDOT-S derivative A5, that displayed the highest film conductivity (33 S cm(-1)) among all PEDOT-S derivatives synthesized. Injecting A5 nanoparticles into the agarose gel cast with a physiological buffer generated a stable and highly conductive hydrogel (1-5 S cm(-1)), where no conductive structures were seen in agarose with the other PEDOT-S derivatives. Furthermore, the ion-treated A5 hydrogel remained stable and maintained initial conductivities for 7 months (the longest period tested) in pure water, and A5 mixed with Fe3O4 nanoparticles generated a magnetoconductive relay device in water. Thus, we have successfully synthesized a water-processable, syringe-injectable, and self-doped PEDOT-S polymer capable of forming a conductive hydrogel in tissue mimics, thereby paving a way for future applications within in vivo electronics.Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council [2018-05258, 2018-06197]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (e-NeuroPharmacology) [RMX18-0083]; European Research Council (ERC) project [e-NeuroPharma 834677]</p

Influence of Molecular Weight on the Organic Electrochemical Transistor Performance of Ladder-Type Conjugated Polymers

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) hold promise for developing a variety of high-performance (bio-)electronic devices/circuits. While OECTs based on p-type semiconductors have achieved tremendous progress in recent years, n-type OECTs still suffer from low performance, hampering the development of power-efficient electronics. Here, it is demonstrated that fine-tuning the molecular weight of the rigid, ladder-type n-type polymer poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL) by only one order of magnitude (from 4.9 to 51 kDa) enables the development of n-type OECTs with record-high geometry-normalized transconductance (g(m,norm) approximate to 11 S cm(-1)) and electron mobility x volumetric capacitance (mu C* approximate to 26 F cm(-1) V-1 s(-1)), fast temporal response (0.38 ms), and low threshold voltage (0.15 V). This enhancement in OECT performance is ascribed to a more efficient intermolecular charge transport in high-molecular-weight BBL than in the low-molecular-weight counterpart. OECT-based complementary inverters are also demonstrated with record-high voltage gains of up to 100 V V-1 and ultralow power consumption down to 0.32 nW, depending on the supply voltage. These devices are among the best sub-1 V complementary inverters reported to date. These findings demonstrate the importance of molecular weight in optimizing the OECT performance of rigid organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors and open for a new generation of power-efficient organic (bio-)electronic devices.Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundationKnut &amp; Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission [2016-03979, 2020-03243]; AForsk [18-313, 19-310]; Olle Engkvists Stiftelse [204-0256]; VINNOVAVinnova [2020-05223]; European Commission through the Marie Sklodowska-Curie project HORATES [GA-955837]; FET-OPEN project MITICS [GA-964677]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University [SFO-Mat-LiU 2009-00971]; National Research Foundation of KoreaNational Research Foundation of Korea [NRF-2019R1A2C2085290, 2019R1A6A1A11044070]; National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF) [DMR-2003518]</p

Improved Performance of Organic Thermoelectric Generators Through Interfacial Energetics

The interfacial energetics are known to play a crucial role in organic diodes, transistors, and sensors. Designing the metal-organic interface has been a tool to optimize the performance of organic (opto)electronic devices, but this is not reported for organic thermoelectrics. In this work, it is demonstrated that the electrical power of organic thermoelectric generators (OTEGs) is also strongly dependent on the metal-organic interfacial energetics. Without changing the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of polythiophene-based conducting polymers, the generated power of an OTEG can vary by three orders of magnitude simply by tuning the work function of the metal contact to reach above 1000 mu W cm(-2). The effective Seebeck coefficient (S-eff) of a metal/polymer/metal single leg OTEG includes an interfacial contribution (V-inter/Delta T) in addition to the intrinsic bulk Seebeck coefficient of the polythiophenes, such that S-eff = S + V-inter/Delta T varies from 22.7 mu V K-1 [9.4 mu V K-1] with Al to 50.5 mu V K-1 [26.3 mu V K-1] with Pt for poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):p-toluenesulfonate [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate)]. Spectroscopic techniques are used to reveal a redox interfacial reaction affecting locally the doping level of the polymer at the vicinity of the metal-organic interface and conclude that the energetics at the metal-polymer interface provides a new strategy to enhance the performance of OTEGs.Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; EU [ESR 955837_HORATES]; Swedish Research Council [2016-06146, 2016-03979]; Forsk [18-313]; Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher [340103]; EU H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie [101022777]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SiOS); Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Advanced Functional Materials at Linkoeping University [2009-00971]</p

Metabolite-induced in vivo fabrication of substrate-free organic bioelectronics

Interfacing electronics with neural tissue is crucial for understanding complex biological functions, but conventional bioelectronics consist of rigid electrodes fundamentally incompatible with living systems. The difference between static solid-state electronics and dynamic biological matter makes seamless integration of the two challenging. To address this incompatibility, we developed a method to dynamically create soft substrate-free conducting materials within the biological environment. We demonstrate in vivo electrode formation in zebrafish and leech models, using endogenous metabolites to trigger enzymatic polymerization of organic precursors within an injectable gel, thereby forming conducting polymer gels with long-range conductivity. This approach can be used to target specific biological substructures and is suitable for nerve stimulation, paving the way for fully integrated, in vivo-fabricated electronics within the nervous system