News item: Silk-based optical waveguides meet biomedical needs

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass.—There is a growing need for biocompatible photonic components for biomedical applications – from in vivo glucose monitoring to detecting harmful viruses or the telltale markers of Alzheimer’s. Optical waveguides are of particular interest because of their ability to manipulate and transport light in a controlled manner in a variety of configurations.

In an article featured on the cover of Advanced Materials, researchers at Tufts University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign demonstrated a new method for fabricating silk-based optical waveguides that are biocompatible, biodegradable and can be readily functionalized with active molecules. The Tufts-UIUC team successfully demonstrated light guiding through this new class of waveguides created by direct ink writing using Bombyx mori silk fibroin inks.