Washington – Controlling cell behavior is one of the crucial challenges of modern biotechnology. Today, a study conducted by the Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems “Eduardo Caianiello” of the National Research Council in Pozzuoli (Cnr-Isasi), published in the U.S. journal Advanced Functional Materials, shows that it is possible to manipulate cells and influence their functions in a wireless and non-invasive way by exploiting the electric fields generated by the photovoltaic effect in iron-doped lithium niobate crystals. The core of the technology lies in the crystal’s ferroelectric properties: when struck by a structured light source, the material generates “micro-patterns” of electric charge on its surface that act as virtual electrodes. “By exploiting the photovoltaic effect of ferroelectric crystals, we eliminated the need for wires, electrodes and costly lithographic processes,” explains Lisa Miccio, a Cnr-Isasi researcher who led the study. “It is an ‘all-optical’ technology that turns the supporting material into an intelligent actuator. In the future, this wireless system could revolutionize the study of tissue regeneration and wound healing, offering an unprecedented tool to guide cellular fate”. The platform also enables unprecedented dynamic monitoring through digital holographic microscopy. Pietro Ferraro (Cnr-Isasi) adds: “The unique feature of this platform lies in its dynamic and reversible nature. Unlike traditional substrates, where stimulation geometries are fixed, here we can ‘write’ and ‘erase’ electrical signals for the cells in real time. This allowed us to observe for the first time how a living cell adapts its trajectory and morphology to an electrical environment that changes before our eyes, while monitoring everything through quantitative phase maps”. Manipulating cells without physical contact and with extremely high spatial resolution opens the door to advanced applications in tissue engineering, neuronal stimulation and the study of intercellular electrical signals. (9colonne)