CAREER: Chronically Stable, High-Precision, Multimodal Bioelectronic Platform for Longitudinal In-Situ Interrogation of Peripheral Nerve Injury

Summary

This NSF CAREER award funds fundamental engineering research to design and fabricate bioelectronic devices that continuously monitor peripheral nerve injury (PNI) progression over long time periods. The project addresses three core challenges: achieving long-term tissue integration of bioelectronic devices in dynamic nerve environments, enabling continuous biomarker monitoring without loss of sensitivity via a biomimetic interface, and validating the platform in a rat nerve crush model. Broader impacts include an "Engineering in Medicine" outreach program with the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and development of a new bioelectronics curriculum.

What they want

1. Design and fabricate an engineered interface that overcomes the trade-off between wet adhesion and stability to enable robust attachment to peripheral nerve surfaces over long-term implantation. 2. Develop a biomimetic interface supporting faithful molecular recognition and active regeneration for continuous biomarker monitoring. 3. Validate the multimodal bioelectronic platform in a rat nerve crush model, continuously capturing multimodal data throughout injury progression and recovery, and correlating sensor outputs with nerve function to provide insights into neuro-immune dynamics. 4. Partner with the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia to launch an "Engineering in Medicine" outreach program engaging high school students in biosensor fabrication. 5. Establish a new bioelectronics curriculum to inspire a workforce capable of addressing challenges in materials science and healthcare engineering.

Deliverables

Engineered wet-adhesion interface for long-term peripheral nerve attachment
Biomimetic interface for continuous biomarker monitoring with active regeneration capability
Validated multimodal bioelectronic platform tested in rat nerve crush model
Longitudinal multimodal dataset correlating sensor outputs with nerve function and neuro-immune dynamics
"Engineering in Medicine" outreach program with the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
New bioelectronics curriculum

Technical requirements

Long-term tissue integration in dynamic peripheral nerve environments
Continuous multimodal biomarker monitoring without sacrificing sensitivity
Robust wet adhesion and mechanical stability over chronic implantation period
Faithful molecular recognition via biomimetic interface
Active regeneration of sensing interface
In vivo validation in rat nerve crush injury model
Correlation of sensor outputs with peripheral nerve function

Risks & flags

NSF CAREER awards are single-PI investigator-initiated grants — not a competitive open procurement; no competitive bidding process applies
Award has already been made; no open solicitation for vendors or contractors is present

Market context

inferred from NAICS

R&D in Physical, Engineering, Life Sciences (except Nanotech & Biotech)

NAICS 541715

US market size: $95B
Typical award: $100K – $50M+

Typical buyers

DoDNSFNIHNASADOE

Commonly required

DCAA-compliant accountingITARCMMC L2