Through multifunctional fusion peptides and a microneedle system, we integrate active-ingredient delivery, biocontainment, and bodily data visualization, exploring new intersections of science, art, and wellness.
For this project, we have designed two hardware components: a "hard hardware" — the microneedle system, which serves as the technical foundation of the project; and a "soft hardware," an artistic interactive installation capable of monitoring skin conditions in real time. This also represents a bold endeavor that we take great pride in.
We have developed a microneedle-based microneedle delivery system for active ingredient transport. The microorganisms can survive within the sealed cavities of the microneedles, where they secrete nutrients that are then delivered into the subcutaneous tissue through microchannels. These flexible microneedles hold the potential for future daily use as an easy "apply-and-go" solution, significantly simplifying skincare steps and reducing the time required for daily routines.
The microneedle-based delivery system takes the form of a transparent patch. It consists of three primary components: a backing patch, sealed cavities (for housing microorganisms), and the microneedles.
The microchannels, which are nano- to micron-sized, effectively prevent the passage of microorganisms while enabling the delivery of active ingredients via an in-situ reaction.
The mold for the microneedle-based delivery system was fabricated using PDMS. The system itself is composed of a PVA-cellulose composite material, engineered to achieve a balance between pliability and structural support. This unique texture allows the patch to conform effectively to the skin while providing the rigidity necessary for the microneedles to remain upright and penetrate the dermal layer. Furthermore, the hydrous nature of the material, coupled with its capacity to encapsulate nutrients, creates a microenvironment that supports bacterial survival for a designated period.
The system utilizes an engineered E. coli BL21 strain. This modified strain is endotoxin-free, rendering it relatively safe for human use. Moving forward, we will refine both the microneedle system and the purification methods for the target products to accelerate the deployment of this convenient platform in real-world applications. In terms of safety, the cavities within the delivery system form a closed environment where the bacteria will naturally die upon nutrient depletion. Furthermore, we have designed an L-arabinose-inducible "suicide switch" as part of the wet-lab implementation, providing a dual safeguard for the project.
Kirkby M, Hutton ARJ, Donnelly RF. Microneedle Mediated Transdermal Delivery of Protein, Peptide and Antibody Based Therapeutics: Current Status and Future Considerations. Pharm Res.2020 Jun 2;37(6):117. doi: 10.1007/s11095-020-02844-6. PMID: 32488611;PMCID:PMC7266419.
Nguyen NH, Nguyen TT, Bui VKH, Nguyen NTT, Van Vo G. Recent advances in microneedles for enhanced functional angiogenesis and vascular drug delivery. Ther Deliv.2025 Apr,16(4):393-406. doi:10.1080/20415990.2025.2468148. Epub 2025 Feb25. PMID: 39997030;PMCID:PMC11970790.
Prausnitz MR. Engineering Microneedle Patches for Vaccination and Drug Delivery to Skin. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng.2017 Jun 7;8:177-200.doi:10.1146/annurev- chembioeng-060816-101514. Epub 2017 Mar 24.PMID: 28375775.
This is an interactive device that can detect the brightness, moisture content and elasticity of the skin in real time and present them through visual effects. We hope that through this translation, people can approach science by feeling it without having to understand molecular structure. It is more hoped that the audience can temporarily set aside their defenses and judgments here, and once again coexist with science. Through each breath and perception, they can discover that technology is not distant; it can also be gentle and trustworthy.
This installation interprets the skin as a mediating interface: it is both the boundary of the body and an entry point for information flowing into technological systems. Subtle fluctuations in brightness, moisture, and elasticity are translated into data, which then return to the space in the form of light and shadow. This cyclical process folds bodily experience and image experience into one another.Here, the image is no longer a representation of the body, but rather a generative action. The viewer's physiological state is translated into a visible form within the space, thereby transforming the skin into a "writable surface." The light and shadow touch not only the fabric but also the very boundaries of the viewer's perception.This mechanism reveals the interdependence of perception and technology: the texture of the skin requires technological externalization to become apparent, while the generated imagery must return to the body to be truly experienced. Thus, the body, data, and image form a cyclical relational network. The work's concern lies not in the demonstration of technology itself, but in the questions of perception it provokes: When the skin functions as both a physiological interface and a media interface, how do we reconceptualize the relationship between "vision" and "touch" as the datafication of the body becomes possible?
A: The detection system can detect skin data.
B: The detected data will be displayed on the screen in a visual form.
C: Three substances are created to represent the material flow within the body.
D: The values will influence the projected patterns; viewers can lie on the fabric surface and feel the sensation of the projection on their skin.
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This installation treats the skin as a mediating interface: both the boundary of the body and the entry point of information into technological systems. Subtle variations in brightness, hydration, and elasticity are translated into data, which then return to the space as light and shadow. This back-and-forth process folds bodily experience into image experience.
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