Polymeric Mixed Conductors for Bioelectronic Sensors
Prof Sahika Inal
Associate Professor of Bioengineering
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Organic mixed ionic and electronic charge conductors offer a unique toolbox for establishing electrical communication with biological systems. In this talk, I will introduce this rising class of materials for bioelectronic interfacing and explain how their multifunctionality can be harnessed to develop next-generation conformable bioelectronic sensors operating at aqueous electrolyte and tissue interfaces. I will highlight one application where organic electrochemical transistors that rely on these soft conductors are used to detect biochemical molecules from sweat while recording and analyzing electrophysiology signals. Drawing from our experience with patient samples, I will address potential shortcomings of proof-of-concept biosensor platforms and explore strategies for overcoming these challenges.
Prof Inal was an undergraduate at Istanbul Technical University, where she studied textile engineering. She moved to the Free University of Berlin for graduate research and focused on polymer science. Her master's dissertation considered optical processes in organic solar cells. Prof Inal stayed in Germany for her doctoral research, moving to the University of Potsdam where she studied responsive polymers for optical sensing. As part of this work she worked on phase transition polymer: polyelectrolytes. After earning her doctorate, she moved to the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne, where she worked as a postdoctoral researcher. She is now an associate professor and Chair of the Organic Bioelectronics Laboratory at KAUST. She is interested in the use of organic electronic materials for monitoring health, and the design of biocompatible devices that can interface with the human body. In 2021, she was shortlisted for the Nature Portfolio Scientific Achievement award.
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