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New Opportunities of Soft Electronics in Biomedical Engineering

Kuanming Yao 1 , Guangyao Zhao 1,2 , Xinge Yu 1,3*

1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China

2 Institute of Materials Research, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China

3 Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China

* Corresponding Author: [email protected]

Distinguished from conventional rigid electronics, soft electronics is becoming a novel platform for next-generation biomedical instrumentations. With advanced materials, mechanics, and structural design, soft electronics could be realized in thin, light-weighted formats and thus can be worn on or implanted in human body, and may excel in great stretchability and conformal attachment with skin or tissue, which ensures continuous and precise healthcare monitoring or therapies. Our group focuses on exploring the novel soft electronics for the applications in various fields of biomedical applications, including motion and mechanical sensing, wearable energy harvesting, dynamic temperature sensing, sweat sensing, and closed-loop human-machine interface ( Fig.1.a ).

Recent advances in biomedical applications of soft electronics. 

One of the basic functions of wearable soft electronics is sensing mechanical information. Pressure, strain, motions, and mechano-acoustic information of humans can be acquired by piezoresistive, pizeocapactive, piezoelectric, or triboelectric mechanisms. Commercial mechanical sensing solutions such as tensile testers and ultrasonic probes were usually bulky with complicated structures, which makes them inconvenient for use in daily life, thus requires a flexible and light-weighted substitute. To realize the motion and tactile sensing on the body, our group reported a high-throughput and scalable electronic skin based on stretchable piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) elastomer by screen printing fabrication. This electronic skin can be integrated on body for motion recognition, and enables the real-time replication of gestures with a robotic hand by sensing the joint strains and encodes into corresponding motion commands. This e-skin in dense sensing array style can acquire delicate tactile information, such as finger touching, with high spatial resolution (25 devices /cm -2 ) and superior sensitivity (180µV/kPa) ( Fig.1.b left ) 1 . Driven by the practical application requirements, our group developed a miniaturized electromechanical system for quick characterization of the biomechanics of skin and deep tissues by combining strain sensors and actuators in one piece. Benefiting from the skin deformation caused by vibration of the actuators, fluctuation of sensor resistance at the same frequency could be detected to characterize the strain, and thus can obtain mechanical properties of millimeter-thick tissues under the skin ( Fig.1.b right ), which helps quick diagnosis of skin diseases like psoriasis and skin cancer, and has a promising prospect in kinesiology and rehabilitation 2 .

 These sensed mechanical and other kinds of energy could also be harvested for usage, since that in situ powering systems are critical for wearable electronics or implantable devices, which consist of a series of energy-consuming components. These powering systems need to be thin, soft, and energy dense for better integration with soft electronic devices. To solve this problem, our group developed some ultra-thin and stretchable self-powered sensors capable of energy harvesting and health monitoring, which achieved natural and imperceptible integration with skin. These sensors are based on various mechanisms such as biofuel cells, piezoelectric, and triboelectric nanogenerators. For instance, one of our recent work reported an enzymatic epidermal self-powered sweat sensor. With the effective sweat collection through microfluidic channels, the device interacting with sweat served both as a biofuel cell and the accurate sensing component for in situ detection of lactate and glucose, which avoided using additional power supplies 3 ( Fig.1.c left ). Exploring new materials 4 and designing device structures 5-10 can also efficiently convert mechanical energy into electricity. Among the current energy harvesting materials/devices, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) have been proven to be an excellent candidate for energy generating through straightforward contact-electrification and electrostatic induction effect, yet they are usually too thick to be integrated on skin unobtrusively. To solve this problem, we developed an ultra-thin, highly flexible, aesthetic, and stretchable, tattoo-like triboelectric nanogenerator (TL-TENG) by ultra-thin liquid bandage and delicate pattern design, which can be integrated intimately and imperceptibly with the human skin 6 ( Fig.1.c right ). The TL-TENG collects mechanical energy from body activities and transforms it into electricity. Therefore, the platform can also be designed as self-powering sensors for human-machine interfaces, such as wirelessly controlling robots, which demonstrates great potential in powering wearable smart systems and the internet of things. 

Dynamic body thermal monitoring is also a very important strategy for the real-time sensing of human health statuses, such as human respiration and hemodynamic monitoring. Recently, we demonstrated a highly flexible, stretchable, and lightweight thermosensitive respiration sensor, with a two-dimensional stretchable fractal curve design, sensitive thermistor, and active sensing strategy 11 ( Fig.1.d left ). The device can conformably integrate with skin even under large mechanical deformations and detect the respiration rate/depth during physical exercise, rests, and prolonged rest (siesta), which indicates the feasibility in future diagnostic breath analysis and respiration status recognition. Besides, for detecting the subcutaneous hymodynamic status without large medical imaging equipment which are bulky, expensive and inconvenient, we also developed an ultra-thin, noninvasive, and flexible thermal-sensing electronic skin (e-skin) to monitor the thermal properties of blood vessels by a dense array of thermal sensors 12 (Fig.1.d right) . During the on-body experiment, the bare epidermis and the blood vessel could be exactly distinguished and even the flow direction could be detected at the same time. Enpowered by 4 multiplexers and BLE communication for wireless high-throughput sensing, it independently senses vascular hemodynamics without imaging equipment, which has great utility as a portable diagnostics device for point-of-care.

Sweat contains lots of physiological biomarkers, thus continuous bio-sensing of sweat could help monitor the health conditions during exercises. However, sweat analyzing techniques usually need equipment with power cords connected, which is inconvenient for sports scenarios. In situ power source that activated by sweat could help realize portable and wearable sweat sensing platforms. We developed a series of novel sweat-activated batteries (SABs) associated with functional electronics for smart sensing of sweat and other physiological indicators. For example, a stretchable Zn/Cu SAB cells array could be integrated on athletes’ skin and absorb sweat to trigger redox reactions, which provide power for 6- hour continuous sensing of glucose, Na + , and pH value via Bluetooth-embedded microelectronics 13 ( Fig.1.e left ). It could also light up 120 LEDs for over 5 hours which can be used as a passive safety warning device for night running. To shrink the size of the device for better fitting with skin, we built a thin Mg/O 2 SAB in a breathable tape that can fit into sportswear 14 ( Fig.1.e mid ). It utilized a KCl-containing cotton sheet as rapid sweat absorber, electrolyte and salt bridge simultaneously. It’s thin and robust to stably work even during repeatedly severe bending, which enables an NFC-embedded sensor tag to monitor sweat Na + /pH and the skin hydration level at the joints by measuring skin impedance. To maximize the catalytic efficiency in oxygen reduction, we further used Ni foam coated with graphene for providing enhanced air diffusing performance in Mg/O 2 SAB 15 ( Fig.1.e right ). It has a power density that reaches 16.3 mW·cm -2 and an impressive energy capacity of 74.4 mAh, which allows supporting microelectronics for sensing of oxygen saturation in blood, pulse rate, body surface temperature, and exercising intensity over hours.

With the development of various sensors and power sources, we also made some efforts in the system-level integration work for biomedical applications, especially constructing a closed-loop of sensing, controlling, and perceiving. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic makes it necessary to reduce intimate social contact among people. An efficient human-machine interface (HMI) that helps people feel things virtually or remotely could help a lot in this context. We developed a skin-integrated wireless haptic interface that provides tactile feedback to the skin by an array of electromagnetic actuators 16 . In form of a “second skin”, it helps users perceive virtual haptic information in scenarios of VR/AR, gaming, and video calls, or helps amputees feel real objects through prosthetics ( Fig.1.f left) . The actuator delivers vibration to the skin based on Lorentz force by the interaction between a magnet and the alternating magnetic field generated by a coil. It can efficiently stimulate mechanoreceptors underlying the skin by maximizing vibration amplitude in optimized frequency. While dimensions of the actuator are still too large for reproducing feedback in fine resolution, its size could be shrunk to millimeter scale to fit an array into a soft band that could wrap on a fingertip to provide programmable and recognizable braille feedback for the blinds 17 ( Fig.1.f mid ). Combining this feedback technology with motion sensing devices, we carried out an e-skin-based closed-loop HMI, where the user could both remotely control movement of robotics and perceive what robotics touch simultaneously through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Internet 18 ( Fig.1.f right ). It helps commit precise medical tasks remotely through robotics, like collecting saliva samples for COVID-19 detection, nursing patients in non-contact ways, etc. 

Conclusions and outlooks

In summary, we made efforts in developing soft electronics in the forms of wearable devices, electronic skins, and energy generators for various biomedical applications, from body fluid analysis, skin disorder diagnosis, to sensory recovery assisting, and boosting remote healthcare services in the future. We believe that through dedicated interdisciplinary teamwork, including medical, materials science, mechanical, electrical, and computational engineering fields, there are infinite possibilities for what soft electronics can do for medical purposes in the future.

• Liu, Y, et al., Electronic Skin from High-Throughput Fabrication of Intrinsically Stretchable Lead Zirconate Titanate Elastomer. Research 2020; 2020: 1085417. DOI:10.34133/2020/1085417.
• Song, E, et al., Miniaturized electromechanical devices for the characterization of the biomechanics of deep tissue. Nat Biomed Eng 2021; 5 (7): 759-771. DOI:10.1038/s41551-021-00723-y.
• Huang, X, et al., Epidermal self-powered sweat sensors for glucose and lactate monitoring. Bio-Design and Manufacturing 2021; 5 (1): 201-209. DOI:10.1007/s42242-021-00156-1.
• Liu, Y, et al., Skin‐Integrated Graphene‐Embedded Lead Zirconate Titanate Rubber for Energy Harvesting and Mechanical Sensing. Advanced Materials Technologies 2019; 4 (12): 1900744. DOI:10.1002/admt.201900744.
• Yao, K-M, et al., Stretchable self-powered epidermal electronics from piezoelectric rubber for tactile sensing. Acta Physica Sinica 2020; 69 (17): 178701. DOI:10.7498/aps.69.20200664.
• Wong, T H, et al., Triboelectric Nanogenerator Tattoos Enabled by Epidermal Electronic Technologies. Advanced Functional Materials 2021: 2111269. DOI:10.1002/adfm.202111269.
• Wu, M, et al., Thin, soft, skin-integrated foam-based triboelectric nanogenerators for tactile sensing and energy harvesting. Materials Today Energy 2021; 20: 100657. DOI:10.1016/j.mtener.2021.100657.
• Li, J, et al., Thin, soft, 3D printing enabled crosstalk minimized triboelectric nanogenerator arrays for tactile sensing. Fundamental Research 2022. DOI:10.1016/j.fmre.2022.01.021.
• He, J, et al., Trampoline inspired stretchable triboelectric nanogenerators as tactile sensors for epidermal electronics. Nano Energy 2021; 81: 105590. DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2020.105590.
• Yao, K, et al., Mechanics designs-performance relationships in epidermal triboelectric nanogenerators. Nano Energy 2020; 76: 105017. DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2020.105017.
• Liu, Y, et al., Epidermal electronics for respiration monitoring via thermo-sensitive measuring. Materials Today Physics 2020; 13: 100199. DOI:10.1016/j.mtphys.2020.100199.
• Park, W, et al., High Channel Temperature Mapping Electronics in a Thin, Soft, Wireless Format for Non-Invasive Body Thermal Analysis. Biosensors 2021; 11 (435): 1-14. DOI:10.3390/bios11110435.
• Liu, Y, et al., Stretchable Sweat-Activated Battery in Skin-Integrated Electronics for Continuous Wireless Sweat Monitoring. Adv Sci 2022: e2104635. DOI:10.1002/advs.202104635.
• Huang, X, et al., Garment embedded sweat-activated batteries in wearable electronics for continuous sweat monitoring. npj Flexible Electronics 2022; 6 (1): 1-8. DOI:10.1038/s41528-022-00144-0.
• Liu, Y, et al., Bandage based energy generators activated by sweat in wireless skin electronics for continuous physiological monitoring. Nano Energy 2022; 92: 106755. DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2021.106755.
• Yu, X, et al., Skin-integrated wireless haptic interfaces for virtual and augmented reality. Nature 2019; 575 (7783): 473-479. DOI:10.1038/s41586-019-1687-0.
• Li, D, et al., Miniaturization of mechanical actuators in skin-integrated electronics for haptic interfaces. Microsyst Nanoeng 2021; 7 (85): 1-9. DOI:10.1038/s41378-021-00301-x.
• Liu, Y M, et al., Electronic skin as wireless human-machine interfaces for robotic VR. Sci Adv 2022; 8 (2): eabl6700. DOI:10.1126/sciadv.abl6700.

Over the last decade, the field of neuroscience has seen great advancements. Multiple efforts, both public and private, are underway to develop new tools to deepen our understanding of the brain and to create novel technologies that can record, decode, and sense brain signals as well as stimulate, modify, and augment brain function with improved efficacy and safety.

Although current research into and early deployment of neurotechnologies has predominantly focused on medical and therapeutic uses, there are already examples pointing to the push for the commercialization of these technologies for other applications, such as wellness, education, or gaming. As part of our effort to support the neuroengineering community, the IEEE Brain Neuroethics Subcommittee is developing a neuroethical framework for evaluating the ethical, legal, social, and cultural issues that may arise with the deployment of such neurotechnologies. The IEEE Brain neuroethical framework is organized as a matrix of specific types of contemporary neurotechnologies and their current and potential applications.

In this framework, we explore the ethical, legal, social, and cultural issues (ELSCI) that are generated by different types of neurotechnologies when used in specific applications. Key areas identified for potential neurotechnology implementation include medicine, wellness, education, work and employment, military and national security, sports and competitions, entertainment, the legal system, as well as marketing and advertising.

We recognize that neurotechnologies are constantly changing, both in terms of the translational pathway and the scope of applications for which they are used. A given neurotechnology might not flourish for a given application but may be used in ways not originally intended. Similarly, the ELSCI of a given device might change based on the particular social context and culture at hand. Accordingly, this framework is intended to serve as a living document, such that the themes and principles only capture a particular moment in time and will need to be revised as neuroscience, neurotechnologies, and their uses evolve. Furthermore, it is intended to facilitate further discussion by inviting input and new perspectives from a wide range of individuals with an interest in neurotechnologies.

While the focus is primarily on current technologies, we discuss potential risks and benefits of technologies for which only limited data is available. Our hope is for the proliferation of research in this field, and we look forward to issuing supplementary resources. Finally, while we acknowledge that there are different ways in which neurotechnologies can be conceptualized, here we focus on neurotechnologies as devices or physical modifications that interface with the human body, supplement pharmaceutical interventions, or that integrate with pharmaceutical agents. We focus on those interventions that use electricity, magnetic pulses, light, or other non-pharmacological agents to bring about their goal. In some cases, these techniques may incorporate genetic modification to the target tissue; however, pure gene therapies that do not involve an associated electronic device are outside the scope of this document.

Each application begins by defining the use case. Next, it identifies and describes existing key examples of the use of neurotechnology in the relevant application area as well as both near-term and long-term applications and the technologies that will enable them. After examining the ethical, legal, social, and cultural considerations for neurotechnologies in that given application, we highlight some examples of regulatory considerations, relevant standards, and a few case studies.

The documentation that supports this framework is the result of ongoing collaboration and dialogue among teams of engineers, scientists, clinicians, ethicists, sociologists, lawyers, and other stakeholders. This document has set the foundation for the ongoing development of socio-technical standards with a focus on neurotechnology (IEEE SA P7700) for engineers, researchers, applied scientists, practitioners, and neurotechnology companies that will help ensure the responsible development and use of new neurotechnologies. This framework will also be of interest to a wide range of audiences and stakeholders interested in neuroethics and the ethical, legal, social, and cultural implications (ELSCI) of these emerging technologies.

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Virus-like particles: revolutionary platforms for developing vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are nanostructures that possess diverse applications in therapeutics, immunization, and diagnostics. With the recent advancements in biomedical engineering technologies, commercially available VLP-based vaccines are being extensively used to combat infectious diseases, whereas many more are in different stages of development in clinical studies. Because of their desired characteristics in terms of efficacy, safety, and diversity, VLP-based approaches might become more recurrent in the years to come. However, some production and fabrication challenges must be addressed before VLP-based approaches can be widely used in therapeutics. This review offers insight into the recent VLP-based vaccines development, with an emphasis on their characteristics, expression systems, and potential applicability as ideal candidates to combat emerging virulent pathogens. Finally, the potential of VLP-based vaccine as viable and efficient immunizing agents to induce immunity against virulent infectious agents, including, SARS-CoV-2 and protein nanoparticle-based vaccines has been elaborated. Thus, VLP vaccines may serve as an effective alternative to conventional vaccine strategies in combating emerging infectious diseases.

Biomedical Engineering Technologies

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Title: crispr-gpt: an llm agent for automated design of gene-editing experiments.

Abstract: The introduction of genome engineering technology has transformed biomedical research, making it possible to make precise changes to genetic information. However, creating an efficient gene-editing system requires a deep understanding of CRISPR technology, and the complex experimental systems under investigation. While Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown promise in various tasks, they often lack specific knowledge and struggle to accurately solve biological design problems. In this work, we introduce CRISPR-GPT, an LLM agent augmented with domain knowledge and external tools to automate and enhance the design process of CRISPR-based gene-editing experiments. CRISPR-GPT leverages the reasoning ability of LLMs to facilitate the process of selecting CRISPR systems, designing guide RNAs, recommending cellular delivery methods, drafting protocols, and designing validation experiments to confirm editing outcomes. We showcase the potential of CRISPR-GPT for assisting non-expert researchers with gene-editing experiments from scratch and validate the agent's effectiveness in a real-world use case. Furthermore, we explore the ethical and regulatory considerations associated with automated gene-editing design, highlighting the need for responsible and transparent use of these tools. Our work aims to bridge the gap between beginner biological researchers and CRISPR genome engineering techniques, and demonstrate the potential of LLM agents in facilitating complex biological discovery tasks.

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What’s a secret to getting more students to participate in an IEEE society? Give them a seat at the table so they have a say in how the organization is run.

That’s what the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society has done. Budding engineers serve on the RAS board of directors, have voting privileges, and work within technical committees.

“They have been given a voice in how the society runs because, in the end, students are among the main beneficiaries,” says Enrica Tricomi , chair of the RAS’s student activities committee . The SAC is responsible for student programs and benefits. It also makes recommendations to the society’s board about new offerings.

A Guide for Inspiring the Next Generation Roboticists

The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society isn’t focused only on boosting its student membership. It also wants to get more young people interested in pursuing a robotics career. One way the society’s volunteers try to inspire the next generation of roboticists is through IEEE Spectrum ’s award-winning Robots website. The interactive guide features more than 250 real-world robots, with thousands of photos, videos, and exclusive interactives, plus news and detailed technical specifications.

The site is designed for anyone interested in robotics, including expert and beginner enthusiasts, researchers, entrepreneurs, students, STEM educators, and other teachers.

Schools and students across the globe use the site. Volunteers on the RAS steering committee suggest robots to add, and they help support new content creation on the site.

“You feel listened to and valued whenever there are official decisions to be made, because the board also wants to know the perspective of students on how to offer benefits to the RAS members, especially for young researchers, since hopefully they will be the society’s future leaders,” says Tricomi, a bioengineer who is pursuing a Ph.D. in robotics at Heidelberg University , in Germany.

The society’s approach has paid off. Since 2018, student membership has grown by more than 50 percent to 5,436. The number of society chapters at student branches has increased from 312 in 2021 to 450.

The ability to express opinions isn’t the only reason students are joining, Tricomi says. The society recently launched several programs to engage them, including career fairs, travel grants, and networking opportunities with researchers.

Giving students leadership opportunities

As SAC chair, Tricomi is a voting member of RAS’s administrative committee , which oversees the society’s operations. She says having voting privileges shows “how important it is to the society to have student representation.”

“We receive a lot of support from the highest levels of the society, specifically the society president, Aude Billard , and past president Frank Chongwoo Park ,” Tricomi says. “RAS boards have been rejuvenated to engage students even more and represent their voices. The chairs of these boards—including technical activities, conference activities, and publication activities—want to know the SAC chair and cochairs’ opinion on whether the new activities are benefiting students.”

Student members now can serve on IEEE technical committees that involve robotics in the role of student representatives.

That was an initiative from Kyujin Cho , IEEE Technical Activities vice president. Tricomi says the designation benefits young engineers because they learn about ongoing research in their field and because they have direct access to researchers.

Student representatives also help organize conference workshops.

The students had a hand in creating a welcome kit for conference attendees. The initiative, led by Amy Kyungwon Han , Technical Activities associate vice president, lists each day’s activities and their location.

“I think that all of us, especially those who are younger, can actively contribute and make a difference not only for the society and for ourselves but also for our peers.”

Being engaged with the technical topic in which the students work provides them with career growth, visibility in their field, and an opportunity to share their point of view with peers, Tricomi says.

“Being young, the first time that you express your opinion in public, you always feel uncomfortable because you don’t have much experience,” she says. “This is the opposite of the message the society wants to send. We want to listen to students’ voices because they are an important part of the society.”

Tricomi herself recently became a member of the Technical Activities board.

She joined, she says, because “this is kind of a technical family by choice. And you want to be active and contribute to your family, right? I think that all of us, especially those who are younger, can actively contribute and make a difference not only for the society and for ourselves but also for our peers.”

Job fairs and travel grants

Several new initiatives have been rolled out at the society’s flagship conferences. The meetings have always included onsite events for students to network with each other and to mingle with researchers over lunch. The events give the budding engineers an opportunity to talk with leaders they normally wouldn’t meet, Tricomi says.

“It’s much appreciated, especially by very young or shy students,” she says.

Some luncheons have included sessions on career advice from leaders in academia and industry, or from startup founders—giving the students a sense of what it’s like to work for such organizations.

Conferences now include career fairs, where students can meet with hiring companies.

The society also developed a software platform that allows candidates to upload their résumé onsite. If they are a match for an open position, interviews can be held on the spot.

A variety of travel grants have been made available to students with limited resources so they can present their research papers at the society’s major conferences. More than 200 travel grants were awarded to the 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation , Tricomi says.

“It’s very important for them to be there, presenting their work, gaining visibility, sharing their research, and also networking,” she says.

The new IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) travel grant for underrepresented groups was established by the society’s IEEE Women in Engineering committee and its chair, Karinne Ramirez Amaro . The grant can help students who are not presenters to attend conferences. It also helps increase diversity within the robotics field, Tricomi says.

The Member Support Program is a new initiative from the RAS member activities board’s vice president, Katja Mombaur , and past vice president Stefano Stramigioli . Financial support to attend the annual International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems is available to members and students who have contributed to the society’s mission-related activities. The projects include organizing workshops, discussions, lectures, or networking events at conferences or sponsored events; serving on boards or committees; or writing papers that were accepted for publication by conferences or journals.

The society also gets budding engineers involved in publication activities through its Young Reviewers Program , which introduces them to best practices for peer review. Senior reviewers assign the students papers to check and oversee their work.

Personal and professional growth opportunities

Tricomi joined the society in 2021 shortly after starting her Ph.D. program at Heidelberg. Her research is in wearable assistive robotics for human augmentation or rehabilitation purposes. She holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Politecnico di Torino , in Italy.

She was new to the field of robotics, so her Ph.D. advisor, IEEE Senior Member Lorenzo Masia , encouraged her to volunteer for the society. She is now transitioning to the role of SAC senior chair, and she says she is eager to collaborate with the new team to promote student and early career engagement within the robotics field.

“I’ve realized I’ve grown up a lot in the two years since I started as chair,” she says. “At the beginning, I was much shier. I really want my colleagues to experience the same personal and professional growth as I have. You learn not only technical skills but also soft skills, which are very important in your career.”

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Kathy Pretz is editor in chief for The Institute , which covers all aspects of IEEE, its members, and the technology they're involved in. She has a bachelor's degree in applied communication from Rider University, in Lawrenceville, N.J., and holds a master's degree in corporate and public communication from Monmouth University, in West Long Branch, N.J.

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School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

College of engineering, pioneering research on wirelessly powered backscatter communications receives top recognition.

Three members of the award-winning team (L-R): Professor Manos M. Tentzeris, Aline Eid, and Jimmy G. D. Hester. Eid and Hester are holding inkjet-printed prototypes of an mm-wave harvester developed by Tentzeris’ ATHENA research group.

The research paper " Advances in Wirelessly Powered Backscatter Communications: From Antenna/RF Circuitry Design to Printed Flexible Electronics " has received the distinguished  2023 Best Paper Award from a leading technical journal, underscoring its significant contributions to the field.

The article was published in " Proceedings of the IEEE ," vol. 110, no. 1, pp. 171-192 in January 2022.

The award-winning team includes former members of Professor  Emmanouil (Manos) Tentzeris ’ ATHENA research group, as well as researchers from  Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, U.K. Tentzeris is currently the Ed and Pat Joy Chair in Antennas in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering .

The winning paper explores battery-free backscatter communications, a burgeoning technology poised to redefine the landscape of 6G, IoT, and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). Offering an exposition of foundational theories and pragmatic insights into the deployment of backscatter radio networks and transceivers, the paper shows a path towards realizing the full potential of this transformative technology.

It covers a wide spectrum of critical aspects, including semiconductor chips, antennas, power circuits, communication modules, waveform design, channel optimization, material innovation, and additive manufacturing. As the first comprehensive review paper addressing these pivotal subjects, it offers novel perspectives and insights into the interdisciplinary nature of low-power, sustainable, and cost-effective devices and systems for backscatter communication technology.

“This remarkable paper provides an insightful review of the rapidly evolving fields of wireless power transfer and flexible electronics in the context of battery-free backscatter communications,” said Tentzeris. “We're excited about the possibilities this technology opens up, envisioning a future where networks of these devices work together intelligently and sustainably, creating new opportunities in various fields.”

The “Proceedings of the IEEE” Best Paper Award, which is bestowed upon exceptional survey, review, or tutorial papers published within the journal in the preceding three years, celebrates works of broad significance and profound potential impact.

“Proceedings of the IEEE” is a world renown journal with a very high impact factor (IF=20.6) encompassing contributions from all IEEE societies providing comprehensive coverage of technical advancements in electronics, electrical engineering, and computer science. 

The research team:

Georgia Tech

• Manos M. Tentzeris, Professor and Ed and Pat Joy Chair in Antennas
• Aline Eid, Ph.D. Alumni from ATHENA lab, currently Assistant Professor with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Jimmy G. D. Hester, Ph.D. Alumni from ATHENA lab, currently CTO of Atheraxon, Inc.
• Xuanke He, Ph.D. Alumni from ATHENA lab, currently with Apple
• Ryan Bahr, Ph.D. Alumni from ATHENA lab, currently with Apple

Heriot-Watt

• Chaoyun Song, Associate Professor
• Yuan Ding, Associate Professor
• Apostolos Georgiadis, Associate Professor
• George Goussetis, Professor 

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Three Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Faculty Members Honored by AAAS

Boleslaw szymanski and chunyu wang elected aaas fellows; steven cramer elected council member of the aaas section on engineering.

April 29, 2024

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Boleslaw Szymanski, Ph.D., and Chunyu Wang, M.D. Ph.D., have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement Science (AAAS). Steven Cramer, Ph.D., who was elected AAAS Fellow in 2017, was elected Council Member of the Section on Engineering.

The mission of the AAAS is to “advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all.” Each year, AAAS elects fellows whose “efforts… are scientifically or socially distinguished.” 

Over RPI’s 200-year history, 70 RPI faculty members have been elected AAAS Fellows.

“Being elected a AAAS Fellow is one of the highest honors of one’s research and academic career. It means your field and your peers recognize your outstanding impact on your discipline,” said RPI President Martin A. Schmidt. “Now, in our bicentennial year, these three honorees continue RPI’s proud tradition of AAAS participation going back to the American Industrial Revolution, when Henry Nason and Palmer Ricketts became some of the very first from RPI to earn the distinction.”

Szymanski is being honored for “distinguished contributions to the field of network science, especially social networks and computer networks.” Wang is being honored for “distinguished contributions to the field of structural biology, particularly to intrinsically disordered proteins and macromolecular interactions in Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.” Cramer, recognized by AAAS for “distinguished contributions to the field of chromatographic bioprocessing, achieved through combined experimental and computational approaches,” steps into a leadership role with council member status. 

“It is a great honor to be recognized for my contribution to science by the American Association for Advancement of Science, publishers of Science magazine, and an organization celebrating its 150th anniversary this year,” Szymanski said.

“It is wonderful to be recognized by other AAAS Fellows,” said Wang. “I want to dedicate this honor to the past and current students, postdocs, and research staff members in my lab who struggled with me on many projects, papers, and grant applications. I also appreciate all of the support I have received at RPI for my independent researcher career, in particular my nominator and department chair, Susan Gilbert.”

“It’s a privilege to represent RPI in such a prestigious organization, first as a fellow and now as the sole representative of all engineering disciplines to the AAAS Governing Council, which makes many important decisions, such as election of Fellows, adoption of resolutions and statements on matters affecting the Association, election of affiliates, and approving amendments to the bylaws,” Cramer said. 

At Rensselaer, Szymanski is the Claire and Roland Schmitt Distinguished Professor of Computer Science; professor of physics, applied physics, and astronomy; and director of the Network Science and Technology Center (NEST). Szymanski earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the National Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland, in 1976. He has published over 400 scientific articles. Szymanski is a foreign member of the National Academy of Science in Poland, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow, a member of the IEEE Computer Society, and a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for which he was national lecturer. He received the Wiley Distinguished Faculty Award in 2003 and the Wilkes Medal from the British Computer Society in 2009. His research interests cover the broad area of network science with a current focus on social and computer networks.

Wang is   professor of biological sciences and chemistry and chemical biology at Rensselaer. Wang holds an M.D. from Peking Union Medical College and a Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics from Cornell University. He is the recipient of the 2005 NYSTAR James D. Watson Award, the 2005 Alzheimer’s Association Young Investigator Award, and the 2010 Rensselaer School of Science Early Career Award. Wang is also the principal investigator of an NIA T32 training program. 

Wang has about 20 years of experience in the study of structural biology of proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, such as amyloid-b peptide, tau, and Hedgehog protein. His research is fueled by numerous collaborations. Wang has made seminal discoveries in the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including the glycan determinants of heparan sulfate interaction with tau and ApoE. He has published over 110 scientific articles and has presented his work at over 80 venues. Recently, thanks to about $1.6 million in funding from the Warren Alpert Foundation, his group launched several drug discovery projects in AD. Wang’s work has been featured in multiple news outlets and he has mentored over 25 Ph.D. students and 10 postdoctoral researchers. 

The researchers will receive certificates and rosettes to commemorate their AAAS Fellowship at the annual Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C. in September. The evening will also include a gala celebrating the 150th anniversary of the AAAS Fellows program at the National Building Museum.

“I am pleased that the prolific research of Professors Szymanski and Wang have earned them each this great honor,” said Curt Breneman, Ph.D., dean of Rensselaer’s School of Science. “Professor Szymanski has not only helped to advance network technology, but he has applied it to solve important problems in the fields of health care and social science. Professor Wang’s research is addressing the second most deadly disease and the leading cause of dementia. Their important work clearly deserves this recognition. They have both made us very proud of their accomplishments.” 

Steven Cramer, NAE, chose to pursue the field of bioseparations, which plays an important role in drug biomanufacturing, after watching his father struggle with multiple sclerosis and wanting to make a difference in the then burgeoning biotechnology industry of the 1980s. Today, Cramer is one of three Institute Professors at Rensselaer, the highest honor bestowed on Rensselaer faculty, and a faculty member in the Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. He is also a member of the RPI Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies. 

Cramer has won numerous awards from the American Chemical Society and RPI, and most recently received the Biotechnology and Bioengineering’s 2023 Gaden Award for work in development of a platform process for the production and purification of single-domain antibodies and was elected to the University of Texas at Austin academy of distinguished chemical engineers (the second non-alumnus to be granted this honor). He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Chemical Society, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Cramer holds 11 patents and has published more than 230 papers in top peer-reviewed journals. Importantly, Cramer has graduated 57 doctoral students from his lab, many of whom now play key leadership roles in industrial bioprocessing as well as academia. Cramer’s accomplishments were recognized at a special symposium at the annual AIChE conference in 2023.

“Over his more than 37-year career, Professor Cramer has devoted himself to research, education, and mentorship that has moved the biotechnology industry forward. We are inspired by his dedication to using engineering to accelerate the next generation of pharmaceuticals that will transform how we treat disease,” said Shekhar Garde, Ph.D., dean of the RPI School of Engineering. 

Instrumentation in Biomedical Research

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