A Repeater Antenna System Utilizing Genetically Modified Bacteria for Multiscale Communications

With the exponential advancements in communication technologies, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology, now it is time to aim high and design new generation of implants. To achieve this vision, this paper presents a novel sensing platform based on genetically engineered bacteria and a repeater antenna system, including a biodegradable in-body reflector antenna and on-body reader antenna. The biodegradation process is controlled by the engineered bacteria, which in the future will be utilized to sense a molecule of interest. The biodegradation, hence, the sensing can be wirelessly tracked. This paper presents the control of biodegradation experimentally by the engineered bacteria and show the wireless tracking numerically. The sensing at 2 cm implant depth in fat tissue in the 2.4 GHz ISM band is demonstrated.