Collection 

Biosensing Biointerface Engineering: Empowering the Future of Healthcare 2026

Submission status
Open
Submission deadline

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG3: Good Health & Wellbeing.
 

This special Collection in npj Biosensing shines a spotlight on the forefront of biointerface engineering, emphasizing the transformative technologies that are revolutionizing the dynamic sensing of living systems. We invite original research showcasing how advancements in bio-nanotechnology, bio-interfaced multiphysics, and closed-loop control are shaping the next generation of biosensing biointerfaces.

We are particularly interested in submissions highlighting:
     ●Novel bio-nanomaterials and surface modification techniques: Enabling precise, selective, biocompatible, and long-term stable interactions at the critical interface between living systems and biosensing technologies.
     ●Multiphysics-empowered biosensing biointerface design: Advancing the development of novel biosensing devices capable of real-time, multimodal, or multifunctional sensing capabilities, leveraging interfacial multiphysics operations within complex biological environments.
     ●Closed-loop control: Showcasing the potential for continuous, bi-directional, and multimodal information conversion between living biological and nonliving cyber-physical systems, capable of real-time, closed-loop detection and modulation of spatiotemporal biological processes, paving the way for advanced human-machine interfaces.
     ●Translational impact: Highlighting the potential of these advancements to revolutionize healthcare and deepen our understanding of fundamental biological processes, with a focus on:
        1) Implantable and wearable biosensors for continuous, real-time health monitoring and disease management.
        2) Closed-loop biosensing and therapeutic systems for precision and personalized medicine.
        3) Bi-directional brain-computer interfaces and neuroprosthetics for restoring lost functions and enhancing human capabilities.

This Collection aims to underscore the inherently interdisciplinary nature of biosensing biointerface engineering and its potential to shape the future of healthcare and biological research. We welcome contributions that bridge the gap between engineering and life sciences, pushing the boundaries of biosensing technology and its applications.

This Collection provides updated research from the Biosensing Biointerface Engineering: Empowering the Future of Healthcare 2024 Collection.

 

Submit manuscript
Manuscript editing services
Biosensing Biointerface Engineering: Empowering the Future of Healthcare

Editors

Wei Zhou, PhD, Virginia Tech, United States
Dr. Wei Zhou is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the Micro-/Nanofabrication Cleanroom and Laboratory at Virginia Tech. He also serves as a Special Advisor to the Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation on AI-Guided Semiconductor Manufacturing and as a Faculty Associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). His research addresses the grand challenge of enabling bidirectional, spatiotemporal bio-information flow to shift medicine, agriculture, and environmental monitoring from reactive to proactive paradigms. To achieve this, his lab advances AI-Native Hybrid Optical-Electrical Nano-Bio Interfaces—scalable platforms that fuse nanophotonics, nanoelectronics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) analytics to manipulate photons, charges, and molecules at the nanoscale. Key platform innovations include: (1) Scalable Nano-Optoelectrode Arrays: Engineering hierarchical devices for closed-loop, multimodal monitoring and control of cellular networks. (2) Advanced Nanophotonic Platforms: Designing broadband, multiresonant nanocavities to explore quantum-enhanced optical phenomena for ultra-sensitive biosensing and imaging. This work is engineered to create field-deployable sensors, on-chip cyber-physical-biological systems, and proactive health technologies for early-warning diagnostics and multi-modal therapeutics. Dr. Zhou is a recipient of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) and Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) awards. He serves as an Associate Editor for npj Biosensing and IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

Bozhi Tian, PhD, University of Chicago, United States
Dr. Bozhi Tian is a full-professor at the University of Chicago, his group is pioneering advancements in photoelectroceuticals and living bioelectronics by investigating the molecular-nano interface between biological systems and electronic and optoelectronic materials. His work emphasizes innovative material synthesis and the development of biocompatible, sustainable, and multifunctional bioelectronic devices that enhance human well-being and have far-reaching global impact. He received his Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry from Harvard University in 2010. His Ph.D. research with Professor Charles Lieber included new nanowire materials synthesis, the fundamental study of high performance nanowire photovoltaics and the application of novel nanowire devices in cells and tissue. He worked with Professors Robert Langer and Daniel Kohane as a postdoctoral scholar in tissue engineering. Dr. Tian’s accolades from his independent career include Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), 2016 NIH new innovator award, 2016 ONR young investigator award, 2016 Sloan fellowship, 2015 AFOSR young investigator award, 2013 NSF CAREER award, 2013 Searle Scholar award, and 2012 TR35 honoree.