An Edible Microelectrofluidic Biosensor for Gastric Enzyme Quantification

EDISENS will deliver the first edible microelectrofluidic biosensor for enzyme activity quantification in gastric fluid that the human body can digest after completing its task. This will be accomplished by integrating passive microfluidics, electronics, and bioreagents into an edible device fabricated with food-grade materials. The biosensor will find application in the detection of pancreatic diseases, including pancreatic cancer. Today, existing ingestible electronics represent a trillion-dollar market. Yet, they suffer from retention risk as they use non-degradable materials and heavily contribute to the accumulation of e-waste in the environment. EDISENS will deliver a safe-to-eat device performing a rapid accurate enzymatic test on gastric fluid before being digested that eliminates the retention risk and does not require hospitalisation and disposal. The proposed technology will be highly versatile and will be beneficial for applications beyond our immediate test case. The transition to edible alternatives will spark the next generation of diagnostic devices for gastrointestinal tract monitoring which are safer, non-invasive, environment friendly and can be used at the point of care. The project will start a change in the social perception of diagnostic devices, where safe and familiar materials can be engineered to provide non-invasive diagnostic tools: EDISENS works toward the vision that clinical testing will be as easy as eating candy one day. This action is in line with the Horizon Europe global challenges program that promotes advanced non-invasive safer health technologies and a greener and more sustainable European society. For the success of this action, the researcher will utilise his experience in standard point-of-care and ingestible electronics, exploit the supervisor’s expertise in organic and bioresorbable electronics and benefit from the state-of-the-art laboratory at the Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia.