The Lieber Lab
The Lieber group is focused broadly on science and technology at the nanoscale, harnessing the unique physical properties of novel nanomaterials to push scientific boundaries in biology and medicine.
Nanomaterials
We are pushing the boundaries in design, synthesis, characterization and hierarchical assembly of nanoscale materials, with an emphasis on novel nanostructures and device arrays for use at the interface with biology and medicine.
Bioelectonics
We are pioneering the interface between nanoelectronics and the life sciences, from sensors for real-time disease detection to development of novel cyborg cells and hybrid nanoelectronics-innervated tissues.
Brain Science
We are focusing on a novel approach for integrating electronics within the brain and other areas of the nervous system, which involves non-invasive syringe delivery of neural network-like mesh electronics into targeted distinct brain regions.
News & Highlight
This paper describes flexible mesh electronic probes, which do not illicit an immune
response, with antibodies or peptides to target specific cell surface markers.
We histology and chronic electrophysiology studies demonstrate that the
modified mesh electronic probes can selectively target neurons, astrocytes and
microglia with functionalized probe surfaces without accumulating off-target
cells. Moreover, probes functionalized to target dopamine receptor expressing
neurons demonstrate, for the first time, neuron subtype specific targeting and
electrophysiological recording. Our work achieving cell-type specific targeting
and electrophysiology without requiring genetic modifications can usher in an
era of precision electronic medicine in the brain.
This paper describes a new paradim for the regeneration of neural tissue! The paper describes a new 3D electronic scaffold with topography and biochemical properties tailored to
mimic the micro-vasculature in the brain. In so doing we show that our electronic scaffold directs the migration of newborn neurons from natural stem-cell locations to a damage site in the brain of a stroke model, and moreover, demonstrate for the first time that these neurons develop activity and circuit connections to other newborn neurons and also neurons deeper in the brain. Our work shows that the vasculature-like electronic scaffold can serve both a framework and a real-time monitoring system for brain regeneration that allows for reconnecting and rewiring damaged neural circuits in vivo.
This paper describes a minimally invasive approach for recording activity in the brain down to the level of individual neurons. The work has been highlighted by numerous news stories, including the BBC, Eureka Alert, New Scientist, Interesting Engineering, and Medical Xpress.
May 2023: Two former graduate students elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
Congratulations to Professor Teri Odom, Northwestern University and Professor Philip Kim, Harvard University on their much-merited election to the National Academy of Sciences! Visit Teri’s website https://www.odomgroup.northwestern.edu/about/teri-w-odom/ , and Philip’s website, https://kim.physics.harvard.edu , to learn more about their exciting research and other activities. Teri and Philip join former doctoral students Professors Yi Cui, Hongjie Dai and Peidong Yang , making five former Lieber Group members elected to the NAS!
July 2022: Three former group members start independent faculty positions.
Congratulations to Tian-Ming Fu, Dingchang Lin and Tao Zhou on starting their independent faculty careers at Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University and Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), respectively!! Visit the webpages of Professor Tian-Ming Fu, https://www.tianmingfu.com , Professor Dingchang Lin, https://engineering.jhu.edu/dclin/ , and Professor Tao Zhou, https://www.taozhoulaboratory.com to learn about the exciting research and opportunities emerging from their groups.
May 2022: Former graduate student elected to National Academy of Science (NAS).
Congratulations to Professor Yi Cui, Stanford University on his well-deserved election to the National Academy of Sciences! Visit Yi’s website, https://web.stanford.edu/group/cui_group/ , to learn more about his groundbreaking research and accomplishments. Yi joins former graduate students, Professor Hongjie Dai and Professor Peidong Yang as the third Lieber Group member elected to the NAS.
The Welch Foundation announced the 2019 winners of the prestigious Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry, which honors highly-respected and influential leaders in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Charles M. Lieber shares his award with A. Paul Alivisatos, who are recognized for their important research contributions which have had a significant, positive impact on humankind. Lieber has provided seminal concepts central to the bottom-up paradigm of nanoscience and has been a leader in the application of nanomaterials.
The concept of “precision electronic medicine in the brain” is articulated for the first time as the vision for how neurotechnology can deliver personalized medicine to treat complex neurological and psychiatric disorders, as well as restore functions in degenerative diseases, trauma, and amputation. Neuron-like electronics could provide a way to stably map, track, and modulate the same individual neurons and neural circuits over extended time periods, unlocking new avenues for personalized therapy. This work addresses how to build an intimate and long-term stable interface between electronics and the constituent cells of the brain via tissue-like, high-resolution and large-scale neural probes. Previous advances have been featured in various news media.
The article, titled “Scalable ultrasmall three-dimensional nanowire transistor probes for intracellular recording,” describes the Lieber group’s latest revolutionary approach to scalable intracellular recording by large arrays of nanowire transistors. This work represents a major step towards tackling the general problem of integrating ‘synthesized’ nanoscale building blocks into chip and wafer scale arrays, thereby addressing the long-standing challenge of scalable intracellular electrical recording and ultimately driving the development of advanced high-resolution brain-machine interfaces.
Recent Publications
C.P. Fucetola, J.T. Wang, O.A. Bolonduro, C.M. Lieber and B.P. Timko, “Single-crystal silicon nanotubes, hollow nanocones, and branched nanotube networks”, ACS Nano 18, 3775-3782 (2024).
A. Zhang, T.J. Zwang and C.M. Lieber, “Biochemically-functionalized probes for cell type specific targeting and recording in the brain”, Sci. Adv. 9, eadk1050 (2023). [BioRxiv]
X. Yang†*, Y. Qi†, C. Wang, T.J. Zwang, N.J. Rommelfanger, G. Hong* and C.M. Lieber*. “Laminin-coated electronic scaffolds with vascular topography for tracking and promoting the migration of brain.” Nat. Biomed. Eng. 7, 1282-1292 (2023).
A. Zhang, E.T. Manderville, L. Xu, C.M. Stary, E.H. Lo and C.M. Lieber, “Ultra-flexible endovascular probes for brain recording through micron-scale vasculature“, Science 381, 306-312 (2023).
Accompanying Perspective: B. Timko, “Neural implants without brain surgery”, Science 381, 268-269 (2023).
D. Lin, J.M. Lee, C. Wang, H-G. Park, C.M. Lieber, “Injectable ventral spinal stimulator evokes programmable and biomimetic hindlimb motion”, Nano Lett. (2023)
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.15.545178v1
J.M. Lee, D. Lin, Y.-W. Pyo, H.-R. Kim, H.-G. Park C.M. Lieber, “Stitching flexible electronics into the brain,” Adv. Sci., 10, 2300220 (2023)
J.M. Lee, D. Lin, G. Hong, K.H. Kim, H.G. Park, C.M. Lieber, “Scalable three-dimensional recording electrodes for probing biological tissues“
NANO LETT. 22 (11), 4552-4559 (2022)
J.M. Lee, D. Lin, H.R. Kim, Y.W. Pyo, G. Hong, C.M. Lieber, H.G. Park, “All-tissue-like multifunctional optoelectronic mesh for deep-brain modulation and mapping” NANO LETT. 21 (7), 3184-3190 (2021)
A. Zhang, Y. Zhao, S. You and C.M. Lieber, “Nanowire-enabled bioelectronics” Nano Today 38, 101135 (2021): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1748013221000608?dgcid=author .
J.M. Lee, G. Hong, D. Lin, T. G. Schuhmann, A. T. Sullivan, R. D. Viveros, H-G Park, C. M. Lieber, “Nanoenabled direct contact interfacing of syringe-injectable mesh electronics” NANO LETT. 19, 8, 5818–5826 (2019)
A. Zhang, Y. Zhao, S. You and C.M. Lieber, “Nanowire probes could drive high-resolution brain-machine interfaces,” NANO TODAY DOI: 10.1016/J.NANTOD.2019.100821, 9 DEC 2019.
M. Sistani, J. Delaforce, R. B. G. Kramer, N. Roch, M. A. Luong, M.I. den Hertog, E. Robin, J. Smoliner, J. Yao, C.M. Lieber, C. Naud, A. Lugstein and O. Buisson, “Highly transparent contacts to the 1D hole gas in ultrascaled Ge/Si core/shell nanowires,” ACS NANO 13, 14145−14151 (2019).
N.M. Tran, K. Shekhar, I.E. Whitney, A. Jacobi, I. Benhar, G. Hong, W. Yan, X. Adiconis, M.E. Arnold, J.M. Lee, J.Z. Levin, D. Lin, C. Wang, C.M. Lieber, A. Regev, Z. He and J.R. Sanes, “Single-cell profiles of retinal ganglion cells differing in resilience to injury reveal neuroprotective genes,” NEURON 86, 21-24 (2019).
S.R. Patel and C.M. Lieber, “Precision electronic medicine in the brain,”
NAT. BIOTECHNOL. 37, 1007–1012 (2019).
J.M. Lee, G. Hong, D. Lin, T.G. Schuhmann, A.T. Sullivan, R.D. Viveros, H.-G. Park and C.M. Lieber, “Nano-enabled direct contact interfacing of syringe-injectable mesh electronics,” NANO LETT. 19, 5818−5826 (2019).
Y. Zhao, S. You, A. Zhang, J.-H. Lee, J.L. Huang and C.M. Lieber, “Scalable ultrasmall three-dimensional nanowire transistor probes for intracellular recording,” NAT. NANOTECHNOL. 14, 783-790 (2019).
R.D. Viveros, T. Zhou, G. Hong, T.-M. Fu, H.Y.G. Lin and C.M. Lieber, “Advanced one- and two-dimensional mesh designs for injectable electronics,” NANO LETT. 19, 4180-4187 (2019).
B. Tian and C.M. Lieber, “Nanowired bioelectric interfaces,” CHEM. REV. 119, 9136−9152 (2019).
G. Hong and C.M. Lieber, “Novel electrode technologies for neural recordings,”
NAT. REV. NEUROSCI. 20, 330-345 (2019).
X. Yang, T. Zhou, T.J. Zwang, G. Hong, Y. Zhao, R.D. Viveros, T.-M. Fu, T. Gao and C.M. Lieber, “Bioinspired neuron-like electronics,” NAT. MATER. 18, 510-517 (2019).