About the LI Lab

Working at the interface of advanced manufacturing, materials science, and bioengineering, the LI Lab pursues the development of biointegrated materials and devices that enable precise recording, understanding, and modulation of biology, particularly in the nervous system or microbial activities. We envision that such biointegrated technologies will catalyze discoveries in basic science and lead to new healthcare and sustainability solutions.

To realize this vision, we pioneer core techniques in materials and manufacturing. We engineer new synthetic materials or bioengineered hybrids with desired mechanical and electrical properties that facilitate seamless integration and precise interaction with biological systems across various scales, from cells to organisms. We then actively pursue innovative precision manufacturing methods to transform these materials and/or biohybrids into scalable bioelectronics, microrobots, and living materials. We are particularly interested in applying these technologies to investigate the nervous systems as next-generation brain-machine interfaces, or to modulate microbial activities for the production of sustainable materials.

Empowered by advanced materials and precision manufacturing, the biointegrated technologies ecosystem will reshape the connections between the synthetic and biological worlds, leading to new solutions for both human and planetary health.

Work in our lab can be broadly divided into the following interconnected domains:

1. Biomedical materials and devices: neural electronics and microrobotics.

2. Sustainable materials and robotic biomanufacturing.

Learn more by reading our Research.

Lab Openings

We always welcome talented postdoctoral scholars and Ph.D. students.
Graduate students can apply for admission through the Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Neuroscience, and BioMolecular Gateway programs.
We also welcome undergraduate students to join the lab.
Particularly, we welcome people from different educational and cultural backgrounds, and encourage participation of scientists from diverse underrepresented groups.
Contact: jl@msu.edu

Media News

Sponsors

National Science Foundation (NSF)
Department of Enegry’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
Henry Ford Health+Michigan State University Health Sciences (HFH+MSU HS)
Spartan Innovations
MSU Office of Research and Innovation’s Global Impact Initiative

Lab News

LI Lab receives a grant from NSF Dynamics, Control and System Diagnostics (DCSD) to study microrobots in complex fluids. July 2023

Congratulations to Vittorio Mottini for being selected by the MSU BME department as an Honorable Mention for the Outstanding Graduate Student Award of 2023! March 2023