Self-Powered Programming of Fibroblasts into Neurons via a Scalable Magnetoelastic Generator Array.

Developing scalable electrical stimulating platforms for cell and tissue engineering applications is limited by external power source dependency, wetting resistance, microscale size requirements, and suitable flexibility. Here, we developed a versatile and scalable platform that enables tunable electrical stimulation for biological applications by harnessing the giant magnetoelastic effect in soft systems to convert gentle air pressure (100 - 400 kPa) and yield current values of up to 10.5 mA and 9.5 mV. The platform is shown to be easily manufactured and scaled up for integration in multi-well magnetoelastic plates via three-dimensional (3D) printing. We demonstrated that the electrical stimulation generated by this platform enhanced the conversion of fibroblasts into neurons up to 2-fold (104%) and subsequent neuronal maturation up to 3-fold (251%). This easily configurable electrical stimulation device has broad applications in high throughput organ-on-a-chip systems and paves the way for future development of neural engineering, including cellular therapy via implantable self-powered electrical stimulation devices. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.