Papers
3
Total Citations
156
H-Index
2
About
Cheemeng Tan is a pioneer at the intersection of synthetic biology and soft robotics, engineering life-like machines that blur the line between the organic and inorganic. His most celebrated work, a biosensing soft robot (129 citations), demonstrates the first autonomous parsing of chemical signals by integrating synthetic cells with soft-matter electronics—a breakthrough with profound implications for smart diagnostics and targeted therapeutics. Tan also solved a critical bottleneck in laboratory automation with the microfluidic cap-to-dispense (μCD) interface (26 citations), enabling the first pipette-free, robotic handling of microfluidic devices. This innovation accelerates high-precision liquid handling for drug screening and artificial cell construction. More recently, his microfluidic printing method (2022) allows multifactorial study of cell-free protein networks, advancing the assembly of synthetic cellular systems. Through these contributions, Tan has established a new paradigm for bioinspired machines, where synthetic biology and robotics converge to create autonomous, responsive systems. His work is foundational for students and researchers seeking to build the next generation of smart, soft, and living materials.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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