Every day, the human body generates waste such as damaged cells and cellular debris. The body is also challenged by invading germs from outside. Phagocytosis is an essential immune function where specialized cells (phagocytes) serve as scavengers, swallowing and clearing cellular waste and foreign invaders. The ability to measure phagocytic activity is important for understanding immune function and disease. Common laboratory and clinical methods to measure phagocytosis often rely on fluorescent labels, bulky equipment, and long processing times, which limit rapid testing and continuous monitoring. This ERI project will develop a compact, easy-to-use biosensing platform that measures phagocytosis. It will track small electrical changes in phagocytic cells as they recognize, engulf, and process targets. The long-term goal is a practical tool to help researchers and clinicians evaluate immune function and quickly compare how well natural or engineered phagocytes perform. The project will also provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at the intersection of biomedical engineering, microfabrication, microfluidics, and machine learning. It will include outreach activities for K-12 students and the public to show how engineering tools can improve healthcare. This EIR project will test the hypothesis that phagocytosis produces dynamic, detectable changes in the electrical/ dielectric properties of phagocytotic cells, particularly in the plasma mem