Sedat NİZAMOĞLU ve ekibi MESHOPTO Projesi ile nanomalzemeler ve geleneksel olmayan elektronik yaklaşımları birleştirerek “retinal ağ optoelektroniği” diye adlandırdığı körlüklere karşı yeni retina implantları geliştirmeyi hedeflemektedir.
2018 Yılında TÜBİTAK Teşvik Ödülü'ne layık görülen NİZAMOĞLU’nun proje önerisi TÜBİTAK ERC Baş Araştırmacı Geliştirme Programı kapsamında desteklenmiştir. NİZAMOĞLU ikinci kez ERC almaya hak kazanan Türkiye’deki ilk araştırmacımız olmuştur. Sedat NİZAMOĞLU daha önce ERC-2014-StG çağrısı kapsamında desteklenen NOVELNOBI: Novel Nanoengineered Optoelectronic Biointerfaces Projesini başarıyla tamamlamıştır.
Çağrı: ERC-2021-CoG
Proje Süresi: 5 yıl
Proje Akonimi: MESHOPTO
Proje Başlığı: Retinal Mesh Optoelectronics
Proje Numarası: 101045289
Ev Sahibi Kurum: Koç Üniversitesi
Panel: PE11 - Materials Engineering
İlgili ERC Proof of Concept Projesi: -
Photovoltaic neural interfaces based on quantum dots and nanowires to restore vision
Retinal photoreceptors are tiny energy conversion systems, converting light into an electrochemical message interpreted by the brain. Photoreceptor degeneration leads to blindness in millions of people. Current implants harness photovoltaics that work in a comparable way. However, because the photodiodes they are based on fall short in terms of their technical performance, they cannot restore vision adequately. The ERC-funded MESHOPTO project will develop high-tech and efficient cellular-sized photovoltaic neural interfaces based on quantum dots and nanowires able to efficiently stimulate neurons. These will be integrated into tissue-like retinal implants – retinal mesh optoelectronics – for artificial vision. The project combines nanomaterial synthesis, device microfabrication and characterisation, primary neuron studies and in vivo experimental models of photoreceptor degeneration.
Objective
Visual sense is vital for all of us. Blindness has severe negative psychological, social, and economical consequences, and degeneration of photoreceptors is a leading cause of it. Photovoltaic retina implants are the current electronic solution to restore vision loss due to photoreceptor degeneration. Since the state-of-the-art implants are based on photodiodes, which face challenges in terms of miniaturization, efficiency, and compatibility with mechanical and structural properties of the retina, artificial vision still falls short to overcome the legal blindness level. We propose a novel concept of Retinal Mesh Optoelectronics that will simultaneously satisfy (a) high-pixel density for high visual acuity, (b) conformability to match the natural curvature of the retina for optimal vision quality, (c) flexibility for coverage of a large area of the retina for a wide field of view, (d) seamless integration to keep the remaining healthy photoreceptors intact, (e) biocompatibility, (f) usage of safe capacitive current, (g) injectability and (h) removability.
Toward this aim, we will initially develop efficient, thin, and cellular-sized photovoltaic neural interfaces based on quantum dots and nanowires. For that, non-toxic quantum dots that have strong light absorption at near-infrared will be synergized with the nanowires that have unique light-trapping and high surface area for efficient photostimulation of neurons. Then, we will translate these devices to porous and flexible tissue-like retinal implants for artificial vision. Starting from the nanomaterial synthesis to optoelectronic device fabrication and bioelectronic mesh formation, this challenging innovation combining nanomaterials, photonics and abiotic-biotic interfaces will be explored from primary neurons up to in-vivo experimental models of photoreceptor degeneration in order to move the results toward clinical application.
(Kaynak: CORDIS)
