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Bioelectronics – Technology Interfaces with the Human Body | The Royal Society

The Royal Society
The Royal Society•May 28, 2026

Why It Matters

Bioelectronics bridges the gap between silicon technology and biology, enabling affordable, continuous health monitoring and minimally invasive therapies that could transform patient care worldwide.

Key Takeaways

  • •Bioelectronics creates skin-like, stretchable devices for health monitoring
  • •Rogers' team translates lab prototypes into FDA‑approved clinical devices
  • •Resorbable implants enable temporary cardiac pacing, reducing post‑surgery risks
  • •DARPA‑funded epidermal electronics provide wireless ICU‑grade monitoring for soldiers
  • •Interdisciplinary approach merges silicon nanomembranes with polymers for flexibility

Summary

The Royal Society’s Bakerian Medal lecture, delivered by Professor John Rogers, focused on bioelectronics – electronic systems designed to integrate seamlessly with soft living tissues. Rogers traced his journey from DARPA‑funded epidermal electronics for battlefield health monitoring to the development of skin‑like, stretchable platforms that can record physiological signals with medical‑grade accuracy.

Key insights included the use of ultra‑thin silicon nanoribbons and polymer composites to achieve flexibility, the translation of these prototypes into FDA and CE‑approved devices for cardiac mapping and neuromodulation, and the creation of resorbable implants that provide temporary cardiac pacing and then safely dissolve. Rogers highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the work, blending materials science, physics, chemistry, and biomedical engineering.

A memorable example was Rogers describing the device as “a temporary tattoo that can monitor your heart and brain,” and he showcased a resorbable cardiac pacemaker that eliminates the need for surgical removal. He also recounted the historical anecdote about Henry Baker’s bequest, underscoring the lecture’s blend of tradition and cutting‑edge innovation.

The implications are profound: bioelectronic platforms promise continuous, low‑cost health monitoring, reduce invasive procedures, and can be deployed in both high‑income and resource‑limited settings, potentially reshaping the global medical‑device market.

Original Description

The Bakerian Medal and Lecture 2026 is awarded to Professor John Rogers FRS for foundational scientific and engineering contributions to the field of bioelectronics.
In his lecture, Professor Rogers will cover advanced electronic/optoelectronic technologies designed to allow stable, intimate integration with living organisms will accelerate progress in biomedical research; they will also serve as the foundations for new approaches in monitoring and treating diseases. Specifically, capabilities for injecting miniaturized, biocompatible electronic systems and other components into soft tissues or for softly laminating them onto the surfaces of vital organs will create unique and important opportunities in tracking and manipulating biological activity.
This presentation describes the core concepts in electrical engineering, materials science and system design that underpin these types of technologies, including bioresorbable, or ‘transient’, devices engineered to disappear into the body on timescales matched to natural processes. The content also includes examples of successful translation out of an academic setting and into medical deployments with regulatory approval -- at a global scale, including resource constrained locations in lower and middle income countries. Examples range from skin-like devices for health monitoring to bioelectronic ‘medicines’ for neuroregeneration and temporary cardiac pacing.
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The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.
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