A team of biomedical, chemical and materials science engineering graduate students from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Samueli School of Engineering recently won a national research competition for their artificial bio-nanoelectronic retina idea.
The team reportedly came in first place out of 22 other teams in the MIT Convergence Idea Challenge for their project. The team's idea would combine biology, nanotechnology, and electronics to design an artificial retina out of flexible organic photovoltaic cell. The nanomaterial would be coupled with living neuronal tissues, allowing the retina to adhere to a patient's own cells more effectively to help reduce rejection rates.
The UCI team reportedly plans to use their prize money to fund materials and equipment to further their research and development. They also stated there is a prototype in the design phase.
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Source: University of California, Irvine