Jimin Park (박지민 교수) Research Group at KAIST

The ABLE lab is pioneering a new area of research entitled “bioelectrochemical interfaces” that connect computers and humans through electrochemistry. We have demonstrated that these interfaces can be integrated into a wide range of biomaterials and bioelectronic devices to convert digital signals (electrons) into biochemical signals (signaling molecules). Especially, our neural probes enabled an electrochemical modulation of neuronal activities and animal behaviors for the first time. We are extending this approach to digitally monitor and treat diseases across the nervous, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems. The ABLE lab is launching new efforts to develop chemical manufacturing platforms comprised of synthetic materials and microorganisms. We engineer the interface between conventional energy devices and microorganisms to power the metabolic pathways of microorganisms sustainably. These biohybrid platforms will enable the sustainable production of chemical fuels from CO2. The ABLE lab is discovering new materials by interfacing synthetic materials with biomolecules. Representative examples include enzyme-like nanocatalysts (for hydrogen evolution, CO2 reduction, and biomass conversion) and functional adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors (for gene or drug delivery). We design, synthesize, and characterize these new material systems at the atomic scale and utilize them as platforms for biocatalysis and gene therapy.