Research

The central focus of our research is to leverage bio-centered design and precision manufacturing to transform advanced biomaterials into unprecedented bioengineering tools or precision diagnostic and therapeutic devices. Working at the interface of engineering, biology, and intelligence, our lab’s research can be broadly categorized into the following interconnected domains:

 
 

Soft electronics

References:
Age-Adaptive Polymeric Skin Electronics Enhance Neural Data and Machine Learning Accuracy. Device 2025.
Skin-Conformal Electronics for Wearable Electrogastrography Monitoring. IEEE Journal of Flexible Electronics 2025.A tissue-like neurochemical sensor for brain and gut. Nature 2022.
Morphing electronics enable neuromodulation in growing tissue. Nature Biotechnology 2020.

Supported by NSF, Spartan Innovations.

Microrobotics

References:
TriMag Microrobots: 3D-Printed Microrobots for Magnetic Actuation, Imaging, and Hyperthermia. Advanced Materials, 2025.
Engineering Magnetotactic Bacteria as Medical Microrobots. Advanced Materials, 2025.
Micro/Nanorobots for biomedicine: delivery, surgery, sensing, and detoxification. Science Robotics 2017.
Electronic skins and machine learning for intelligent soft robots. Science Robotics 2020.
Micromotor-Enabled Active Drug Delivery for In Vivo Treatment of Stomach Infection. Nature Commun. 2017.

Supported by NIH, NSF, Henry Ford Health + MSU Health Sciences.

Engineered Living Materials and Biomanufacturing

Projects and References:
'Biomanufacturing' helps building materials go green
New 'living' wood could be an environmental superhero
Robotic 3D Bioprinting of Entire Building Structures Using Biogenic Concrete
Mycoelectronics: Bioprinted Living Fungal Bioelectronics for Artificial Sensation. bioRxiv (under peer review), 2025.

Supported by DOE ARPA-E, NSF.