Correction: Electrospun polymeric scaffolds enable 3D tissue-like functionality and efficient photoinduced contraction Giulia Simoncini, Fabio Marangi, Ilaria Venturino, Vito Vurro, Andrea Bartolucci, et al. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2026 Correction for ‘Electrospun polymeric scaffolds enable 3D tissue-like functionality and efficient photoinduced contraction’ by Giulia Simoncini et al. , J. Mater. Chem. B , 2026, 14 , 2832–2842, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5TB02640G.
Electrospun polymeric scaffolds enable 3D tissue-like functionality and efficient photoinduced contraction Giulia Simoncini, Fabio Marangi, Ilaria Venturino, Vito Vurro, Andrea Bartolucci, et al. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2026 Free-standing, aligned electrospun PVA nanofiber membranes create a quasi-3D scaffold for C2C12 alignment. With Ziapin2 infiltration, visible light paces macroscopic contractions up to ∼460 µN (∼3.3 kPa) without genetics in vitro .
Towards Real-Time Monitoring of Soft Robotic Systems in Endoscopic Application With Ultra-Flexible Organic Transistor-Based Strain Sensors Usama Mahmood, Andrea Bartolucci, Giulia Casula, Antonello Mascia, Lorenzo Vannozzi, et al. Advanced Electronic Materials, 2026 The development of sensing elements capable of direct and real‐time monitoring is fundamental to the actual exploitation of soft robotic systems in real application scenarios. In this paper, the integration of an electronic strain sensor based on an ultra‐flexible, all‐organic field‐effect transistor on a soft structure, conceived for future application as a soft robotic catheter in drug delivery, is reported. The device, entirely fabricated by means of cost‐effective, large area processes, is developed over a sub‐micrometrical, biocompatible substrate, with mechanical properties compatible with soft robotic production. Electrical performance of the transistor is characterized, showing the suitability of the device parameters to the envisaged application in terms of low power consumption and reproducibility. A successful integration of the ultra‐flexible transistor platform into the soft robotic system is demonstrated. A thorough electromechanical characterization of the sensorized system is provided, showing a programmable sensitivity to mechanical deformation in the range 5°–30°, based on the overthreshold conditions imposed by the transistor gate voltage. The results pave the way for the effective exploitation of organic flexible electronics as a valuable solution for the development of sensorized soft robots, toward a complete observability and controllability of their actuation in operation scenarios.
Monolithic Biohybrid Flexure Mechanism Actuated by Bioengineered Skeletal Muscle Tissue Andrea Bartolucci, Judith Fuentes, Daniele Guarnera, Florencia Lezcano, Maria Crespo‐Cuadrado, et al. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 2025 Skeletal muscle tissue represents an attractive powering component for biohybrid robots, as traditional actuators used in the soft robotic context often rely on complex mechanisms and lack scalability at small dimensions. This article proposes a monolithic biohybrid flexure mechanism actuated by a bioengineered skeletal muscle tissue. The design leverages the contractile properties of a bioengineered skeletal muscle to produce a bending motion in a monolithic, tubular mechanism made of a soft and biocompatible silicone blend. This structure integrates two cylindrical pillars that facilitate force transmission from the bioengineered muscle tissue. Performance assessments reveal excellent contractile and stable behavior upon electrical stimulation, compared to current biohybrid actuation systems, with enhanced performance as the mechanism's internal and external diameters decrease. Finite‐element simulations further reveal distinct force–displacement responses in mechanisms with different flexural rigidity. This innovative, scalable, and easy‐to‐fabricate design represents a significant step forward in the development of novel biohybrid machines.
Micropatterned Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Thin Films Doped with Barium Titanate Nanoparticles: Effects on Myoblast Differentiation Leonardo Boccoli, Elena Drago, Andrea Cafarelli, Lorenzo Vannozzi, Angelo Sciullo, et al. ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, 2025 Biohybrid actuators exploit the contraction of biological components (muscle cells) to produce a force. In particular, bottom-up approaches use tissue engineering techniques, by coupling cells with a proper scaffold to obtain constructs undergoing contraction and guaranteeing actuation in biohybrid devices. However, the fabrication of actuators able to recapitulate the organization and maturity of native muscle is not trivial. In this field, quasi-two-dimensional (2D) substrates are raising interest due to their high surface/thickness ratio and the possibility of functionalizing their surface. In this work, we fabricated micropatterned thin films made of poly(styrene–butadiene–styrene) (SBS) doped with barium titanate nanoparticles (BTNPs) for fostering myogenic differentiation. We investigated material concentrations and fabrication process parameters to obtain thin microgrooved films with an average thickness below 1 μm, thus featured by a relatively low flexural rigidity and with an anisotropic topography to guide cell alignment and myotube formation. The embodiment of BTNPs did not significantly affect the film’s mechanical properties. Interestingly, the presence of BTNPs enhanced the expression of myogenic differentiation markers (i.e., MYH1, MYH4, MYH8, and ACTA1). The results show the promising potential of SBS thin films doped with BTNPs, opening avenues in the fields of biohybrid actuation and skeletal muscle tissue engineering.
Integration of Organic Field-Effect Transistor-based Strain Sensors and Soft Robotic Catheters for Drug Delivery Convegno Nazionale Di Bioingegneria, 2025
Potassium sodium niobate piezoelectric nanoparticles: a platform for wireless cell modulation in tissue engineering Convegno Nazionale Di Bioingegneria, 2025
The MioPRO2 project: a novel regenerative peripheral nerve interface for prostheses control based on an engineered piezoelectric skeletal muscle construct Convegno Nazionale Di Bioingegneria, 2025
