The development of cell-based biosensors for pharmaceutical, environmental, toxicological, scientific and other applications has received growing interest in recent years. The project aims at the development of improved tools for interfacing cells and chips along two distinct paths: microelectronics and integrated optics. The former will take advantage of the integration capabilities of modern microelectronics to develop a compact system integrating a high-resolution array and the processing circuitry, in order to build a truly portable, low-cost device that could be adopted in routine analysis. The latter targets the development of integrated photonic devices, from the caged neurotransmitters and from the voltage-sensitive dyes, in order to realize a neuro chemo-photonic communication between biological and artificial parts. These technologies allow the microscale stimulation input to meet with the net macroscale output.
The activity of DEI researchers will be:

• Characterization of electrodes realized in standard CMOS technology and their impedance in contact with the electrolytes; evaluation of possible non-lithographic methods for improved electrical contact and cell positioning;
• Design of integrated amplifiers for cell signal detection; extension to arrays of microelectrodes; possible integration of the A/D converter; realization and test of the integrated circuits;
• Realization of the setup for in-vivo experiments for BMI; analysis of the correlation with movements; development of integrated circuits for compact BMI.

The WP objectives for the first year can be considered to be fully achieved, with also some advances in what was originally scheduled for the second year.