"The emergence of organic electronics – a technology that relies on carbon-based semiconductors to deliver devices with unique properties – represents one of the most dramatic developments of the past two decades. A rapidly emerging new direction in the field involves the interface with biology. The “soft” nature of organics offers better mechanical compatibility with tissue than traditional electronic materials, while their natural compatibility with mechanically flexible substrates suits the non-planar form factors often required for implants. More importantly, their ability to conduct ions in addition to electrons and holes opens up a new communication channel with biology. The experimental work will explore the fundamentals of communication at the interface between conducting polymers and living cells. Specifically, this project will examine the merits of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) as the “input” devices from the cellular world: devices that translate ionic fluxes from electrically active cells into electrical signals in the transistor channel. The fellow will seek to understand the mechanism behind recording the electrical activity of cells with OECTs and to use this knowledge to design OECTs that record action potentials in an efficient and chemically-sensitive manner. Through collaborations with the microelectronics industry and partners in life sciences, the applications of OECTs in biomedical implants and sensors will be exploited."