Abstract

Conducting Polymer Devices for Label-free Monitoring of in vitro Toxicology

Roisin Owens, Associate Professor, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de St Etienne

Organic bioelectronics refers to the coupling of conducting polymer based devices with biological systems, in an effort to bridge the biotic/abiotic interface. We focus on the unique properties of organic electronic materials that allow easy fabrication, and flexibility in design as well as chemical tunability, to develop state-of-the-art tools to monitor cells i.e. for diagnostic purposes following exposure to toxins or pathogens and control cells, for example to create more ‘in vivo’ like environments. We work not only with commercially available materials, but are also optimizing custom materials for use in devices by changing morphology, adding biomolecules to increase biocompatibility, and incorporating biorecognition elements directly into the materials. Our goal is to develop physiologically relevant in vitro systems with integrated monitoring systems that obviate the need for animal experimentation in diagnostics, toxicology or drug development. To this end, we have successfully demonstrated the use of the organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) for monitoring toxicology in in vitro models of the gastrointestinal tract, the kidney and the blood brain barrier. We show improved temporal resolution and sensitivity compared to existing techniques, and further, take advantage of the flexibility of design and fabrication of organic electronic devices to include microfluidics, optical monitoring and multiplex acquisition systems.