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Bioelectronic interfaces of organic electrochemical transistors

Nature Reviews Bioengineering (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are electronic devices relying on electronic materials that are stable in aqueous environments. OECTs leverage ionic solutions for their operation, so OECTs are well-suited for interfacing with biological systems for electrophysiology and biochemical sensing, in particular, in point-of-care diagnostics, wearable and implantable technologies, and in organ-on-chip systems. The interface of OECTs with biological systems is a crucial parameter that determines the function and performance of the devices, influencing the design criteria, including the selection of materials and device form factor, geometry and architecture. The selected design features must enable seamless interaction with biological components while ensuring reliable and stable device performance in complex settings. In this Review, we investigate the biological interfaces of OECT-based biosensors, examining their complexity and length scale. We highlight interface designs with biomolecules, such as lipids, proteins and aptamers, as well as in vitro cell culture and the human body. Importantly, we explore strategies to improve each interface type and identify gaps in our current understanding that warrant further investigation.

Key points

  • Optimal bioelectronic interfacing requires efficient information transfer with minimal disruption to biological functions.

  • Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) can establish seamless bioelectronic interfaces with biomolecules, cells, lipid bilayers and the body to extract electrophysiological or biochemical signals.

  • OECT performance can be improved by optimizing the gate–electrolyte interface, the channel–electrolyte interface and the electrolyte.

  • Orientation, density and stable immobilization of recognition units and interference blockers on device surfaces are crucial for efficient biochemical sensing.

  • Intimate contact between OECT components and biological systems is the most important feature for efficient signal transduction, both in vivo and in vitro.

  • Standardized fabrication and development protocols are needed to engineer reproducible, stable and low-cost OECTs for widespread diagnostic applications.

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Fig. 1: Organic electrochemical transistors.
Fig. 2: Functionalization of organic electrochemical transistor interfaces for analyte sensing.
Fig. 3: Interfacing organic electrochemical transistors with cells and supported lipid bilayers in vitro.
Fig. 4: Device features for skin interfaces.
Fig. 5: In vivo organic electrochemical transistor interfaces.

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Acknowledgements

For this Review, we used large language models, including ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Claude (Anthropic), to correct the grammar and wording of the text. All text in the manuscript was written by the authors, and large language models were used solely for style corrections with no input in the content or meaning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Organic Bioelectronics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

    Abdulelah Saleh, Anil Koklu & Sahika Inal

  2. Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

    Abdulelah Saleh, Anil Koklu & Sahika Inal

  3. Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Ilke Uguz

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Anna-Maria Pappa

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  1. Abdulelah Saleh
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A.S. and S.I. developed the concept of the article. A.S. worked with all authors to write the article. All authors contributed to the article’s research and discussion. S.I. did final edits and revisions with contributions from all authors.

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Saleh, A., Koklu, A., Uguz, I. et al. Bioelectronic interfaces of organic electrochemical transistors. Nat Rev Bioeng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-024-00180-7

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