(Invited) Engineering the Bio-Interface at the Micro and Nanoscale for Applications in Diagnostics and Therapeutics

The biological/non-biological interface system is an important cornerstone for the fabrication of a wide range of biomedical devices. Platforms as diverse as lab-on-chip and point-of-care diagnostics, 3D tissue culture scaffolds, organs-on-chips and implants all rely on the effective interaction of cells and/or bio-recognition elements (proteins/peptides, enzymes, oligonucleotides, etc.) with non-biological surfaces. Design and engineering of micro/nano patterned interfaces provide powerful tools to study biological phenomena at micro and nano scale and to develop novel technologies for diagnostics and therapeutics. I will present an overview of our research on micro/nano-scale design of novel biomedical coatings and their integration into in vitro systems such as lab on chip, organs-on-chips and flexible sensing interfaces as well as in vivo applications to develop efficient medical devices such as catheters, vascular grafts and extracorporeal circuits.