Cell-scale autonomous CMOS motes for intracellular bioelectronics

Integrating autonomous electronics within single cells has remained beyond the reach of modern bioelectronics. Miniaturization at this scale could transform our ability to study and actuate biological processes at the cellular level, complementing existing molecular and fluorescent approaches. As these devices approach the sub-100-µm length scale, volumetric constraints demand fundamentally new approaches to power delivery and telemetry. Here, we report an optically powered 10-picoliter complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) mote that operates with a power density of 1 pW/pL, comparable to the metabolic rate of cellular systems. These fully CMOS motes can be manufactured at scale yielding 1000 motes from a 4-mm ² silicon die. Multiple motes can be simultaneously powered and interrogated within a single optical field of view using epifluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate intracellular implantation of these motes within the single-celled mixotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans with negligible cytoplasmic displacement, pushing the boundaries of active CMOS bioelectronics to the intracellular domain and establishing a next-generation of truly cell-scale bioelectronic interfaces