Soft, stretchable and conductive biointerfaces for cell mechanical stimulation and recording

In this work we present the design, fabrication and characterization of polymer-based soft, stretchable and conductive biointerfaces for achieving both mechanical stimulation of cells and recording of their response. These biointerfaces represent the very first step for investigating potential bio-hybrid skin-like tactile sensing approaches. Cells transform mechanical stimuli into biological and biochemical signals (mechanotransduction): modifications on cell membrane structure lead to a final change in membrane electric potential. Therefore, an efficient way to quantify cellular response to mechanical stimuli is to evaluate the impedance variation of cells due to externally applied forces.