2024-3-14 Merging electronics with cardiac tissue
In our recent study, we engineered a tissue-like mesh bioelectronic system that can grow together with cardiac tissue and real-time monitor the comprehensive electrical and mechanical activities across the tissue over the developmental process. See other News highlights (Bioengineer, ElectronicsWeekly, MedicalXpress, EurekAlert!, etc).
2023-5-24 Clean electricity from thin air, 24/7
In our recent study, we discovered that we can use literally any materials to continuously harvest clean electricity from ambient air. See other News highlights (BBC, Washington Post, Boston Global, Guardian, GBH, Newsweek, Science Daily, Inverse, Yahoo, EurekAlert!, PopularScience, NewsforKids, etc).
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2023-2-22 Electronic sensor made from sustainable nanowires
In our recent study, a microbial factory was employed to genetically modify and synthesize protein nanowires for making ‘green’ sensors with tuned selectivity. See other News highlights (Phys.org, Physicsworld, Bioengineering, EurekAlert!, etc).
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2022-8-24 3D nanosensor simultaneously tracking electrical and mechanical cell activities
In our recent study, a suspended nanowire is used to create a tiny sensor, for the first time, that can simultaneously measure electrical and mechanical cellular responses in cardiac cells. It can provide a new tool for improved cardiac studies. See other News highlights (NASA TechBrief, PhysicsWorld, ScienceMag, PhysOrg, Science Daily, EurekAlert!, etc).
2022-8-4 Green electricity from bacterial film
In our recent study, microbial biofilms are found to efficiently convert ambient water evaporation into electricity. They can be engineered into thin-film skin patch to turn bodily water evaporation into electricity for powering up wearable devices. See other News highlights (EurekAlert!, Science Daily, etc).
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2022-3-17 NIH Trailblazer R21 Award
We thank the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) for providing us the support to explore new sensor technology.
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2022-2-15 2022 Sloan Fellowship
We thank the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for the encouragement and support to our interdisciplinary research.
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2021-06-25 Xiaomeng Liu winning Link Foundation Energy Fellowship
PhD candidate Xiaomeng Liu has received a prestigious, two-year, $61,000 Link Foundation Energy Fellowship to support his innovative research on Air-Gen. Congratulations!
2021-06-09 Self-sustaining, Intelligent Electronic Microsystems from Green Material
Protein nanowires, a renewable electronic material harvested from microbe Geobacter, are used to construct self-supported, living-alike microsystems, heralding the potential of future ‘green’ electronics made from biomaterials. See other News highlights (Phys.org, EurekAlert!, Science Daily, Bioengineener, ScienMag, etc).
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2021-05-14 Group award news
Congratulations to Tianda Fu for winning the 1st place in ECE department 3-minute-thesis (3MT) competition award, Xiaomeng Liu for 2020-21 outstanding teaching assistant (TA) award (along with Hongyan Gao 2019-20 outstanding TA award), and Jun Yao for Joseph J. Goldstein Outstanding Junior Faculty Award from the College of Engineering.
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2021-03-28 Sony Faculty Innovation Award
We thank the Sony Corporation for the support to further advance our research in green energy device.
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2020-08-20 NSF SemiSynbio-II
We greatly thank NSF for the support to develop low-power electronics based on biosynthetic materials.
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2020-05-20 Armstrong Fund for Science Award
We thank Benefactors John and Elizabeth Armstrong, through the UMass Armstrong Fund for Science, for the support to further advance our collaborative research in energy devices.
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2020-05-31 Microbial Microfactory for Electronic Sensors
Electronic sensors made from protein nanowires harvested from microbe Geobacter sulfurreducens are highly sensitive and selective for ammonia detection. See other News highlights (Phys.org, ScienceDaily, Nanowerk, ScienceBulletin, Medical News, Bioengineer, GEN, Chem Europe, Bionity, etc).
2020-04-20 Making Memristor Work at Biological-Level Voltage
Memristor device made from protein nanowires harvested from microbe Geobacter sulfurreducens was discovered to work at biological voltage (<100 mV). Read the “Behind-the-Scenes” discover story. Other News highlights (Phys.org, ScienceDaily, Nanowerk, ScienceBulletin, Sci Tech Daily, ScienceNewsNet, UPI, Communal News, etc)
2020-02-18 Harvesting Energy from Ambient Humidity.
Thin film made from protein nanowires harvested from microbe Geobacter sulfurreducens was discovered to collect electric energy from ambient humidity. Read the “Behind-the-Scenes” discover story. Other News highlights (Nature Podcast, Science, Phys.org, EurekAlert!, ScienceDaily, MSN.com, Yahoo!, Popular Science, Tech Times, New Atlas, Nanowerk, Nobel Intent, Sci-News, etc)
2019-02-13 NSF CAREER AWARD
Our lab is awarded with NSF Career Award. We greatly thank NSF for the research support!
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2018-12-06 High-School Outreach Inspires Ultrasensitive Sensors
The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image of an ant (left), as demonstrated for a high-school outreach program, has inspired the development of bioinspired, ultrasensitive mechanical sensors. The resultant results were published in Nature Communications. Also see (UMass News, Western Mass News)
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_________________ Prior to UMass Amherst _________________
2017-09-06 “Nanobioelectronics: Plug in your brain”
Nature Nanotechnology chose our recent publication, “Syringe-injectable electronics with a plug-and-play input/output interface,” as a Research Highlight for September, for developing a new “plug and play” interface for syringe-injectable electronics that is scalable and user-friendly to non-experts.
2014-01-30 Rudimentary Computer Built From Nanowires
Researchers have built an ultra-tiny computer from an assembly of nanowires that is the densest, most complex nanoelectronic system ever fabricated from the bottom up. Also see (Phys.org; Nanotechweb.org; Afcea.org; Extremetech.com; Kurzweilai.net; Technology.org).
2013-05-07 Untangling nanowire assembly
A nanoscale assembly technique similar to combing human hair is developed to yield unprecedented control in both alignment and position in nanowire elements, paving the way for the integration for future complex systems.
2012-10-02 Making transparent memory
By marrying silicon oxide and graphene, researchers have developed transparent memory devices that could find use in flexible electronics and sophisticated displays. Also see (ACS.org; NSF.org; PhysicsNews; Nanocomputer; theEngineer; ScienceDaily; Eurekalert.org; R&D Mag; C&EN).
2012-08-15 Silicon oxide memory’s journey to space, though bit bumpy
Unlike flash memory technology, the newly developed memory chips are expected to be resilient to radiation. The designed chip was scheduled to be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2011. However, the chips were lost during a Russian cargo ship failure later that year. After another-year’s work, the newly made chips were successfully delivery to out space for years’ long test. A full story can be find here.
2010-10-01 Discover story: Science Behind the Scenes
A behind-scene story detailing what made the scientific discovery of silicon oxide memory. Also, it may also serve as an encouragement to perspective/current graduate students, who may not always have a smooth journey for scientific endeavors.
2010-08-30 Discovery made the front page of the New York Times
Silicon oxide or silica has long been used and deemed as a passive, insulating material. Now scientists discovered an intrinsic conduction and memory effect in it that can potentially lead to better memory technology. Also see (Phys.org; Eurekalert.org; NSF.gov; ScienceDaily; Futurity.org; Popular Science; NextBigFuture; Electronics Weekly; Science 360; Discover)
2009-12-17 The Fun of Graduate Study: Making University Logo NANO!
Bored of graduate study? There are lots of ways to make it fun. Here is a story how one’s trained technique can help to promote science and engineering to public and younger generations.