Engineering Multiscale Biohybrid Interfaces for Signal Sensing and Functional Regulation of Electronic Plants

Electronic plants (e-Plants), typically constructed by integrating artificial electronic materials with natural living plants, have demonstrated as a powerful platform for bioelectronic applications, but the realization of high-performance e-Plant systems still remains challenging. In this Review, we concisely summarize the state-of-the-art of the multiscale biohybrid interface construction strategies, namely surface-attachable, implantable, and in situ formable methods, and discuss how these approaches can be applied to engineer e-Plants. In addition, the applications of e-Plants for sensing of signaling molecule-based signal transduction and metabolism as well as monitoring of plant physiological states and microecological conditions are introduced, highlighting their intriguing potential in precision agriculture. Moreover, biohybrid e-Plants that are capable of light-to-chemical energy conversion and photocatalysis are further outlined, conceivably opening up a new avenue for photosynthesis enhancement and disease treatment. On the other hand, the challenges and perspectives on advancing fast response time, multimodal responsiveness, artificial intelligence assistance, and biosafety are also discussed, clearly mapping the future development directions in such field.