HKU Engineering Researchers Develop Soft, 3D Transistors With Hosting Living Cell Potential, Featured On Science Cover

The WISE research group (Wearable, Intelligent, Soft Electronics) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU-WISE) have addressed a long-standing bioelectronic challenge: the development of soft, 3D transistors. This groundbreaking work introduces a new approach to semiconductor device design with transformative potential for bioelectronics, which has been featured as the cover story of the prestigious journal Science.

Led by Professor Shiming Zhang from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, the research team included senior researchers who joined HKU-WISE from the University of Cambridge and the University of Chicago, together with HKU PhD students and undergraduate participants — an international, inclusive, and dynamic research community.

Traditional silicon-based transistors, the foundation of modern electronics, are rigid and 2D, challenging to integrate with soft and 3D living systems. Professor Zhang and his team explored a fundamentally different idea: designing soft, 3D transistors to mimic both the behaviour and structure of neurons in the human brain.

After five years of research, the team developed the world’s first soft, 3D transistors with a special type of semiconductors, known as hydrogel semiconductors. Unlike conventional semiconductors, these hydrogel semiconductors are soft, biocompatible, and synthesised in water through a 3D self-assembling process. They possess tissue-like properties and feature a record-breaking thickness (exceeding millimetres), making them capable of hosting living cells (Figure 1).

This research breakthrough marks a leap forward in merging electronics with biology, unlocking exciting possibilities for the future of bioelectronics and beyond, potentially advancing frontier research in biohybrid electronics, neuroscience, health technology, and medical research (Figure 2).

Professor Shiming Zhang commented, “This is just the beginning of a new era of bioelectronics. With further optimisation, such Jelly-like 3D biochips could revolutionise healthcare, education, and even daily life. We look forward to the launch of regulatory frameworks to guide the development of such groundbreaking technologies for medical uses.”

The research was funded by a competitive RGC Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG) awarded to Prof. Shiming Zhang.