2025 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit

Symposium SB10-Neuromorphic Biohybrids—Materials, Devices, Interfaces and Computing Principles

The symposium focuses on advancing the development of materials, devices, and systems that can intelligently interface with biology, crucial for designing biosensors and neuromorphic electronics. It seeks to explore the common ground among various topics, some of which are already addressed in separate sections at MRS. Recognizing the limitations of traditional computing systems in replicating the brain's efficiency in information processing, the symposium emphasizes the importance of computational approaches inspired by biological neural networks on the device and circuit levels. These examples constitute the initial steps toward creating efficient bio-morphic systems capable of analyzing, interpreting, perceiving, and responding to dynamic real-world environments.

As a result, a new era of smart sensor and actuation applications is emerging, where systems efficiently interact with biological environments. However, achieving this intelligence also necessitates novel algorithmic support within a co-design framework. A longer-term approach involves allowing actual biological substrates to perform computations, directly tapping into the high level of computational efficiency inherent in biological processes.

The symposium will delve into the latest advancements in both inorganic and organic materials for bio-inspired information processing, bio-computation, and biosensing. It will showcase emerging applications in neuromorphic computing, sensing, actuation, and nano-scale bio-interfacing, along with recent progress in algorithmic development. By bringing together global experts in neuromorphic computing, bioelectronics, and neuroscience, the symposium aims to foster transdisciplinary interactions. Ultimately, it seeks to bridge the gaps between materials science, computing, and neuroscience by initiating a dialogue on this emerging and interdisciplinary topic.

Topics will include:

  • Information Processing Inspired by Biology
  • Mimicking Neural Processes
  • Algorithms and hardware for Neuro-Inspired Computing and Intelligent Sensing
  • Materials Innovation in Neuromorphic Devices: Inorganic and Organic Perspectives
  • Sensing and Acting Like the Brain
  • Flexible Bio-Interfaces: Adaptive Bio-Interfacing and materials
  • Bridging Biology and Technology: Neural Interface Devices and materials
  • Living Electrodes
  • Integrating Nano-Scale Technologies with Biology: Bioelectronics with 2D Materials

Invited Speakers:

  • Chiara Bartolozzi (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy)
  • Saptarshi Das (The Pennsylvania State University, USA)
  • Simone Fabiano (Linköping University, Sweden)
  • Jennifer Gelinas (Columbia University, USA)
  • Paschalis Gkoupidenis (Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Germany)
  • Sahika Inal (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia)
  • Jean-Anne Incorvia (The University of Texas at Austin, USA)
  • Deep Jariwala (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
  • Scott Keene (Cambridge University, United Kingdom)
  • Mario Lanza (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia)
  • Jia Liu (Harvard University, USA)
  • Iain McCulloch (University of Oxford, United Kingdom)
  • Jonathan Rivnay (Northwestern University, USA)
  • Alexandra Rutz (Washington University in St. Louis, USA)
  • Alberto Salleo (Stanford University, USA)
  • Xenofon Strakosas (Linköping University, Sweden)

Symposium Organizers

Dmitry Kireev
The University of Texas at Austin
USA

Damia Mawad
University of New South Wales
Australia

Francesca Santoro

Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH

Germany

Yoeri van de Burgt
Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Institute for Complex Molecular Systems
Netherlands

Topics

biomimetic (assembly)