# Development of a Microdevice for Photoelectrical Stimulation of Cells

> **NIH NIH R03** · FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $71,058

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Photoelectrical stimulation of cells is an emerging technique with tremendous potential for expanding the
toolset for tissue engineering as well as enabling new therapies for treating neurological diseases, but its
potential applications are limited by the large size of the existing photoelectrical-stimulation devices. The
objective of this proposed study is to develop a novel device for photoelectrical stimulation. The device, which is
termed microdevice, is featured by a sub-10 µm size and disk-like shape, a well-defined layered structure for
converting light to electrical signals via the photovoltaic mechanism, and engineerable surface properties. These
features potentially allow the microdevices to bind to individual cells and modulate their behaviors through
photoelectrical stimulation. The specific aims are to (1) establish a protocol for fabricating the designed
microdevices, and (2) evaluate the performance of the microdevices in photoelectrical stimulation of cells.
Successful completion of the proposed research will validate feasibility of the microdevice and lay a foundation
for its further development into a viable tool for tissue engineering research and neuromodulation therapy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9875558
- **Project number:** 1R03EB028878-01
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jingjiao Guan
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $71,058
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9875558

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9875558, Development of a Microdevice for Photoelectrical Stimulation of Cells (1R03EB028878-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9875558. Licensed CC0.

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