About the LI Lab
We combine bioengineered materials with advanced manufacturing to develop biointegrated technologies that allow us to precisely record, understand, and modulate biology, particularly the nervous systems and microbial activities.
We hope these technologies will eventually contribute to both human and planetary health through the creation of new diagnostics, therapeutics, and sustainable materials. Work in our lab can be broadly divided into the below entangled domains.
Biomedical Materials and Devices
Brain Machine Interfaces
References:
A tissue-like neurochemical sensor for brain and gut
Nature 606, 94-101, 2022.
Soft sensor tracks the neurochemical messengers dopamine and serotonin
Nature Research Briefing 2022.
Morphing electronics enable neuromodulation in growing tissue Nature Biotechnology 2020.
Microrobotics
References:
Micro/Nanorobots for biomedicine: delivery, surgery, sensing, and detoxification. Science Robotics 2017.
Biomimetic platelet‐camouflaged nanorobots for binding and isolation of biological threats. Adv. Mater. 2018.
Micromotor-Enabled Active Drug Delivery for In Vivo Treatment of Stomach Infection. Nature Commun. 2017.
Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing
Biomanufacturing
Ongoing project:
'Biomanufacturing' helps building materials go green
Living Materials
Ongoing project:
New 'living' wood could be an environmental superhero
Lab Openings
We always welcome talented postdoctoral scholars and Ph.D. students.
Graduate students can apply for admission through the Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Neuroscience, and BioMolecular Gateway programs.
We also welcome undergraduate students to join the lab.
Particularly, we welcome people from different educational and cultural backgrounds, and encourage participation of scientists from diverse underrepresented groups.
Contact: jl@msu.edu
Sponsors
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Department of Enegry’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
Henry Ford Health+Michigan State University Health Sciences (HFH+MSU HS)
Spartan Innovations
MSU Office of Research and Innovation’s Global Impact Initiative
Lab News
LI Lab undergrad Charlie Meilinger (MechE) presents soft electronics at 2023 BMES Meeting, Seattle. Oct. 2023
LI Lab receives the HFH+MSU Health Sciences Center Cancer Pilot Grant Award for developing microrobotic cancer therapy. July 2023
LI Lab receives a grant from NSF Dynamics, Control and System Diagnostics (DCSD) to study microrobots in complex fluids. July 2023
Congratulations to LI Lab undergrads Bella Rodrigues (Engineering Sciences) and Michael Ngatio (Biochemistry) for winning FIRST PLACE AWARD in the 2023 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF)! April 2023
LI Lab presents “Tiny Robots“ at MSU Science Festival. April 2023
Congratulations to Vittorio Mottini for being selected by the MSU BME department as an Honorable Mention for the Outstanding Graduate Student Award of 2023! March 2023
Exoskeletons at MSU May 2022