Design and Application of Novel Nanostructured Materials in Neuroelectronic Interfaces for Biomedical Applications

Sub-activity 1.4 focuses on exploring graphene-based and other nanostructured materials for use in medical neuroelectronic interfaces, with particular emphasis on auditory neuroprosthetic technologies. The research builds on prior work on graphene-based auditory neurointerfaces and extends it to broader biomedical and translational applications.

The main objective is to investigate the biological interactions and functional integration of graphene substrates with auditory neurons, focusing on key morphological, neurophysiological, and functional properties essential to the development of next-generation implantable neurotechnologies.

The research is carried out through strong international collaborations with leading institutions in nanotechnology, neuroscience, and microelectronics. Key partners include the Graphene Centre at the National University of Singapore, imec vzw (Belgium), the Laboratory of Mechanics and Acoustics (LMA) at Aix-Marseille University, and the Laboratory for Sensory Encoding and Neurosensory Engineering (SENSE) at the University of Cambridge. In addition, a cooperation agreement was signed in February 2024 with the German Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All, establishing a long-term framework for joint research on advanced multi-scale technologies for hearing research.