Researchers at Indiana University Bloomington are integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning with acoustofluidics, a technology that manipulates cells in liquid using sound waves, to speed up biomedical research. This project is led by Feng Guo, associate professor of intelligent systems engineering and director of the Intelligent Biomedical Systems Lab at the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering.
The research team recently received $1.5 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health to support their work. According to Guo, “The goal of our lab is to leverage artificial intelligence and organoid computing — what we call biological intelligence — to further advance or innovate biomedical systems to address the challenges for medicine, healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry.”
Acoustofluidics uses fluid dynamics principles to move biological materials such as cells or chemical compounds in solution with sound waves. Unlike traditional methods like pipetting, this process is contactless, which reduces the risk of cross-contamination. It also does not require chemical tags such as fluorescent dyes or radioactive labels. Guo explained, “Acoustofluidics is completely contactless, label-free and highly biocompatible,” noting its potential benefits for fields including infectious disease research, cancer studies, and regenerative medicine.
By incorporating AI into acoustofluidic systems, scientists can achieve real-time monitoring and adaptive control during experiments. Guo stated that AI allows for faster reactions than human researchers: “AI can help you generate the best protocol,” he said. “It can provide dynamic feedback and dynamic monitoring to control fast, quick chemical reactions.” He added that this approach could lead to more rapid protein analysis or drug screening—important components in personalized medicine.
Guo has disclosed several applications of this technology to the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office. These include rapid analysis of drug effects on immune cell interactions within tumors; stimulating tissues or organs using acoustic fields; and delivering precise drug dosages through skin patches controlled by sound waves. He also holds a U.S. patent related to these innovations.
With new NIH funding, Guo plans to recruit additional postdoctoral researchers and undergraduate students for his lab. He currently co-leads other major grants involving Alzheimer’s research with the IU School of Medicine ($16.5 million) and brain organoid computing technology ($2 million from NSF), both utilizing intelligent acoustofluidics.
Several healthcare startups have expressed interest in potentially licensing aspects of Guo’s work. Looking ahead, he emphasized translational impact: “We really want to push for that translational impact — to find the practical challenge for industry or clinical translational medicine and leverage our efforts into the workforce.” He added: “I do work to promote medicine, biology and chemistry, but I’m trained in physics and engineering… What I always say is scientists want to understand the world, but engineers want to change it.”
