Tao Hu Research Group of the State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences cooperated with the research specialist staff of the Department of Neurosurgery, Fushan University Affiliated Huashan Hospital and Medical Laboratory of Nanchang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, based on controlled dissolution biological materials, combined with optical technology and Green micro/nano processing technology, took the lead internationally to put forward the concept of "Transient soluble micro/nano optical technology" on the basis of "Transient soluble electronic technology" and applied it perfectly to the biomedical and information confidentiality. The relevant results were published in the latest issue of Advanced Materials (Influence Factor 18.96), DOI: 10.1002 / adma.201605471, entitled "The use of functionalized silk fibroin films as a platform for optical diffraction-based sensing applications". The reviewer gave a very high rating: "This work has unquestionably shown the potential application of biological protein materials in optics and optoelectronics, opening up a brand new direction for 'Transient soluble micro/nano optics', which also has great commercial value." Article link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201605471/full.
Fibroin is derived from natural cocoon, with perfect optical properties, excellent biocompatibility, controllable biodegradability and simple means of functionalization. Diffraction optical element (DOE) is a kind of traditional optical device with micro-relief structure made by micro/nano fabrication technology. It can convert the incident interference light into the desired diffraction pattern, which performance has strong dependence on the surrounding environment and its structural integrity, thus demonstrating potentially high sensitivity sensing application. The fibroin optical DOE realized by the perfect combination of fibroin and DOE is of the unique advantages of both. And Tao Hu’s team has made the groundbreaking application in the information confidentiality and biomedical field. Based on this study, the research group has achieved the confidentiality and reproducibility of simple information, and successfully used the mode "Start drug release - Release feedback – Dose reached and stop administration" to cure the live rats with back infections.
The work has been funded by the relevant research projects including the "Thousand Youth Talents" Project of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, Key Research and Development Plan of the Ministry of Science and Technology, National Natural Science Fund, International Cooperation Project of Shanghai science and Technology Commission, etc. The cooperation units include Fudan University Affiliated Huashan Hospital, Nanchang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, the University of Texas at Austin, Stony Brook University, Tufts University and Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, etc.
Information confidentiality: When the glass diffraction optical element surface is coated with fibroin solution and allowed for curing, the diffraction information disappears; when the fibroin is washed away, the diffraction information is reproduced (left figure).
Biomedical: Based on the silk diffraction optical element (Silk DOE) doped with antibiotics, the mode "Start drug release - Release feedback – Dose reached and stop administration" to successfully cure the live rats with back infections (right figure).