Artificial Rod and Cone Photoreceptors with Human-Like Spectral Sensitivities

Photoreceptor-Like Signal Transduction Between Polymer-Based Protocells

Deciphering inter- and intracellular signaling pathways is pivotal for understanding the intricate communication networks that orchestrate life's dynamics. Communication models involving bottom-up construction of protocells are emerging but often lack specialized compartments sufficiently robust and hierarchically organized to perform spatiotemporally defined signaling. Here, the modular construction of communicating polymer-based protocells designed to mimic the transduction of information in retinal photoreceptors is presented. Microfluidics is used to generate polymeric protocells subcompartmentalized by specialized artificial organelles. In one protocell population, light triggers artificial organelles with membrane-embedded photoresponsive rotary molecular motors to set off a sequence of reactions starting with the release of encapsulated signaling molecules into the lumen. Intercellular communication is mediated by signal transfer across membranes to protocells containing catalytic artificial organelles as subcompartments, whose signal conversion can be modulated by environmental calcium. Signal propagation also requires selective permeability of the diverse compartments. By segregating artificial organelles in distinct protocells, a sequential chain of reactions mediating intercellular communication is created that is further modulated by adding extracellular messengers. This connective behavior offers the potential for a deeper understanding of signaling pathways and faster integration of proto- and living cells, with the unique advantage of controlling each step by bio-relevant signals.

Eye-Mimicked Neural Network Composed of Photosensitive Neural Spheroids with Human Opsin Proteins

An in vitro model, composed of the short-wavelength human opsins and rhodopsins, is created. Two types of photosensitive neural spheroids are transfected for selective reaction under bluish-purple and green lights. These are employed to two devices with intact neuron and neural-spheroid to study the interaction. By photostimulation, the photosensitive spheroid initiated photoactivation, and the signal generated from its body is transmitted to adjacent neural networks. Specifically, the signal traveled through the axon bundle in narrow gap from photosensitive spheroid to intact spheroid as an eye-to-brain model including optic nerve. The whole process with photosensitive spheroid is monitored by calcium ion detecting fluorescence images. The results of this study can be applied to examine vision restoration and novel photosensitive biological systems with spectral sensitivity.

Photosensitive Nanodiscs Composed of Human Photoreceptors for Refractive Index Modulation at Selective Wavelengths

A photoreceptor on the retina acts as an optical waveguide to transfer an individual photonic signal to the cell inside, which is determined by the refractive index of internal materials. Under the photoactivation of photoreceptors making conformational and chemical variation in a visual cell, the optical signal modulation is demonstrated using an artificial photoreceptor-based waveguide with a controlling beam refraction. Two types of nanodiscs are made of human photoreceptor proteins, short-wavelength-sensitive opsin and rhodopsin, with spectral sensitivity. The refractive index and nonlinear features of those two photosensitive nanodiscs are investigated as fundamental properties. The photonanodiscs are photoactivated in such a way that allow refractive index tuning over 0.18 according to the biological function of the respective proteins with color-dependent response.

Ultrasound stimulation for non-invasive visual prostheses

Globally, it is estimated there are more than 2.2 billion visually impaired people. Visual diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and optic neuritis can cause irreversible profound vision loss. Many groups have investigated different approaches such as microelectronic prostheses, optogenetics, stem cell therapy, and gene therapy to restore vision. However, these methods have some limitations such as invasive implantation surgery and unknown long-term risk of genetic manipulation. In addition to the safety of ultrasound as a medical imaging modality, ultrasound stimulation can be a viable non-invasive alternative approach for the sight restoration because of its ability to non-invasively control neuronal activities. Indeed, recent studies have demonstrated ultrasound stimulation can successfully modulate retinal/brain neuronal activities without causing any damage to the nerve cells. Superior penetration depth and high spatial resolution of focused ultrasound can open a new avenue in neuromodulation researches. This review summarizes the latest research results about neural responses to ultrasound stimulation. Also, this work provides an overview of technical viewpoints in the future design of a miniaturized ultrasound transducer for a non-invasive acoustic visual prosthesis for non-surgical and painless restoration of vision.

A Behavior-Learned Cross-Reactive Sensor Matrix for Intelligent Skin Perception

Mimicking human skin sensation such as spontaneous multimodal perception and identification/discrimination of intermixed stimuli is severely hindered by the difficulty of efficient integration of complex cutaneous receptor-emulating circuitry and the lack of an appropriate protocol to discern the intermixed signals. Here, a highly stretchable cross-reactive sensor matrix is demonstrated, which can detect, classify, and discriminate various intermixed tactile and thermal stimuli using a machine-learning approach. Particularly, the multimodal perception ability is achieved by utilizing a learning algorithm based on the bag-of-words (BoW) model, where, by learning and recognizing the stimulus-dependent 2D output image patterns, the discrimination of each stimulus in various multimodal stimuli environments is possible. In addition, the single sensor device integrated in the cross-reactive sensor matrix exhibits multimodal detection of strain, flexion, pressure, and temperature. It is hoped that his proof-of-concept device with machine-learning-based approach will provide a versatile route to simplify the electronic skin systems with reduced architecture complexity and adaptability to various environments beyond the limitation of conventional "lock and key" approaches.

Protein Biophotosensitizer-Based IGZO Photo-thin Film Transistors for Monitoring Harmful Ultraviolet Light

The development of health monitoring devices to prevent skin cancers or various diseases arising from exposure to harmful light has attracted increasing scientific interest and has led to the exploration of hybrid inorganic-biological systems through the incorporation of biomolecules. Here, ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors based on transistors incorporating green fluorescent protein (GFP) molecules on multilayer-stacked indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin films are studied, where the top layer of the IGZO films has different surface properties. Light-sensitive GFP can play a role as a biophotosensitizer due to light-induced electron transfer during photoexcitation. Intriguingly, the IGZO photo-thin film transistors (TFTs) with GFP molecules on a relatively more hydrophilic surface (less defective surface) have better device performance and exhibit a dramatic decrease in the photocurrent after turning the UV light off compared to the cases without GFP molecules on the more hydrophilic surface and on the less hydrophilic surface (more defective surface). A physical mechanism based on energy band diagrams is proposed, and the light-induced threshold voltage shift in the IGZO photo-TFTs is estimated and explained in terms of oxygen-related vacancy sites and trap/interface conditions in the IGZO film and light-induced electron transfer from the GFP molecules.

Self-Assembled Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum-Like Proto-Organelles

Nature has evolved elaborate, dynamic organelle morphologies for optimal organelle functions. Among them, cisternae stacks are the universal structure for most organelles. However, compared with the well-studied spherical cell/organelle membrane mimic, the fabrication of the ubiquitously present cisternal organelle-like membrane structures for organelle mimic remains a challenging task. Herein, rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER)-like helicoidal cisternae stacks were assembled to mimic the enzyme crowded environment in spatially confined RER cisternae. RER-like single helicoid, multiple helicoids, and secondary helix are all observed. Membrane electrostatics drives their formation and controls the percentages, which indicates the possible role of membrane electrostatics in RER shaping. The organelle-like cisternae stacks can reversibly expand and compress, which provides modulated crowded or de-crowded enzyme environment for biochemical reactions. This work provides advanced membrane models, and novel mechanisms for organelle shaping and helicoids formation, and holds great potential in biomimetics, cell biology, and advanced materials design.