BIOPIX ARTIFICIAL RETINA: A SENSOR THAT SEES LIKE A RETINA

3 March 2026 PRESS RELEASE

BIOPIX Artificial Retina: A Biohybrid Sensor That Mimics the Living Retina

Researchers have developed BIOPIX, a retina-inspired biohybrid image sensor array that combines living-like biological liquid environments with organic electronics. In the first demonstration of its kind, the biohybrid and biocompatible retina emulator generated real-time images directly on a display. This advance brings artificial retina vision systems closer to the way natural eyes process light and moves the field forward in the quest to develop future technologies for vision restoration.

Researchers at Tor Vergata University of Rome and collaborators have developed BIOPIX, a retina-inspired biohybrid image sensor that merges organic electronics with a liquid, biology-like environment to more closely replicate how natural eyes process light. For the first time, a hybrid liquid bio/semiconducting retina emulator has generated images on a display in real time. Unlike conventional solid-state cameras, BIOPIX operates at the interface between semiconducting polymers and a water-based physiological medium, mimicking the ionic conditions in which retinal photoreceptors function.

Twelve of the 16-pixel array reproduce rod-like responses for contrast detection, while a central 2×2 cluster simulates cone-like color sensitivity similar to that of the mouse retina. When exposed to light, the device converts signals into real-time grayscale and color images using a custom electronic readout system designed to match the slower, millisecond-scale dynamics of biological ionic cellular responses.

The team say they designed this device to go beyond traditional electronic sensors. By letting organic electronic materials interact with a liquid biological environment, BIOPIX reacts to light in a way that is much closer to how a real retina works in nature, both in how it senses color (spectrally) and how quickly it responds.

Laboratory tests with human mesenchymal stromal cells confirmed the platform’s biocompatibility, supporting its potential for biomedical use. Researchers envision BIOPIX as a scalable retina emulator to study phototransduction, test artificial photoreceptor materials, physiological media, and advance artificial retina prosthetics, potentially improving treatments for degenerative eye diseases and inspiring new forms of artificial vision and neural interfaces.

Results published in "A Bio-Electronic Hybrid Solid–Liquid Pixelated Color Image Sensor Array as a Direct-to-Display Artificial Retina Emulator", Advanced Materials Technologies, v. 11, e01461 (2026).

https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/admt.202501461

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BIOVOLTAICO - IL CHOSE PER L’AGRIVOLTAICO – APPLICAZIONI INNOVATIVE DEL FV SEMITRASPARENTE IN AGRICOLTURA

BIOVOLTAICO - Il CHOSE per l’Agrivoltaico

Applicazioni innovative del FV semitrasparente in agricoltura

Il Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettronica dell'Università di Roma Tor Vergata (DIE), attraverso il Laboratorio CHOSE , sviluppa tecnologie innovative in grado di interagire positivamente sugli aspetti agricoli e biologici della crescita delle colture sotto pannelli fotovoltaici semitrasparenti, spettralmente selettivi, come il FV a base di semiconduttori organici polimerici (OPV) ed i moduli basati sulla tecnologia fotoelettrochimica a colorante (DSSC). Il CHOSE - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettronica - è uno dei partner co-beneficiari del progetto BIOVOLTAICO, con capofila la società Intellienergia, e con CREA - Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria e la società Bassano Natura s.a.r.l. come altri co-beneficiari. Il contributo erogato da Lazioinnova ammonta a 49.520,00€, per un importo totale di progetto (compreso di cofinanziamento del DIE) pari a 61.900,00€.
Il CHOSE sviluppa nel WP1 del progetto una copertura sperimentale in FV semitrasparente in tecnologia DSSC e OPV per 4m2 totali, 3m2 in tecnologia DSSC, ed 1m2 in tecnologia OPV. I risultati ottenuti con il primo batch di moduli DSSC permettono di ottenere una efficienza del 3.9% con una trasparenza su area geometrica del modulo pari al 30%. I moduli OPV in corso di sviluppo mostrano efficienze superiori al 4% con una trasparenza ACT (Average Chlorophyll Transparency) superiore al 30%.

A BIO-PHOTOELECTROLYTIC ORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR PLATFORM FOR MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL OF PROLIFERATION AND BEHAVIOUR OF LIVING CELLS USING LIGHT PULSES | PRESS RELEASE

20 February 2023

A Bio-photoelectrolytic Organic Semiconductor Platform For Measurement And Control Of Proliferation And Behaviour Of Living Cells Using Light Pulses

Organic semiconductors have been shown to be promising for interfacing with biological systems because they are biocompatible, printable and their optical properties can be tailored. A multidisciplinary international team from seven research institutes have designed a bio-photoelectrolytic platform based on semiconducting polymer thin films, onto which cells were cultured immersing both in an aqueous biological medium. The team demonstrated it is possible to inhibit cell proliferation by 50% in a cancer cell line by subjecting the platform to a series of light pulses over time. Light stimulation was found to increase the concentration of calcium ions inside the cells by three times. The platform also enabled to measure bio-electrical signals. The bio–photoelectrolytic platform and the effective use of light stimulation may open new avenues for in vitro light control/manipulation of cell behaviour, for the development of future novel non-invasive tools for application in bio-sensing, regenerative medicine and cell-based therapy, and for cancer progression control and therapy.

Results are published in Advanced NanoBiomed Research, 2200127 (2023)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anbr.202200127

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CONFERENCE ON NEW GENERATION PHOTOVOLTAICS FOR SPACE (PVSPACE)

You are invited to participate at the Online Conference on New Generation Photovoltaics for Space (PVSPACE), from 21th to 22th of June 2022.

Compared with the terrestrial environment, the cosmic space environment is very harsh. Space is characterized by ultra-high vacuum, extreme temperatures and also exposure to several high-energy charged particles and rays. In line with the fast-growing space economy, new generation of photovoltaic systems e.g., perovskite solar cells and multi-junction thin film PVs have been shown a great potential for compete with conventional PV systems in the space applications due to high efficiency in ultra-low-cost devices, low energy payback time, solution-process and roll-to-roll fabrication, high specific power and intrinsic stability against high energy particles and rays.

The scope of the conference is to gather international experts in new generation photovoltaics such as perovskite, organic PV or tandem between new generation and conventional PV, to have a fresh update on the development in the field and to define new opportunities of new generation PV in space applications. From space applications we consider not only those which are available nowadays such as satellite powering but also new space developments such as extraterrestrial bases, deployable flexible PV arrays, inflatable solar cells etc. The conference would also focus on space relevant tests of new PV technologies as well as the first experimental demonstration on the space environment.

Conference Organizer: Dr. Narges Yaghoobi Nia, Prof. Aldo Di Carlo, Prof. Luigi Schirone, Dr. Mahmoud Zendehdel