Most of today’s wireless communication systems are based on high-frequency or radio-frequency (RF) waves. While this technology is highly suitable for conventional telecommunications applications, it faces fundamental limitations when applied to communicating nodes at the nano- or microscale. This is particularly true for systems that interact with biological cells or operate in challenging environments such as liquids. Alternative communication paradigms and technologies are therefore required for such scenarios. A promising approach is Molecular Communication (MC). In this paradigm, information is transmitted using molecules or nanoparticles. Possible information carriers include biochemical molecules or magnetic nanoparticles, which can be detected through biological, chemical, or physical methods. Molecular communication is intended to complement existing RF communication systems and, in the long term, become an integral part of future 6G+ networks, enabling novel applications in medicine, biotechnology, and industry. In the Internet of Bio-Nano-Things (IoBNT) project, we develop and investigate concepts for an integrated communication system designed for applications in personalized medicine as well as industrial processes at the micro- and nanoscale. The IoBNT aims to continuously monitor biological processes within the human body through a network of nanodevices and, when necessary, enable targeted interventions. At the same time, IoBNT connects these systems to external gateways and computing platforms, allowing measurement data, control information, and regulatory mechanisms to be exchanged reliably between the biological and digital domains. To realize an IoBNT, multiple communication technologies are combined, including RF-based communication, ultrasonic communication, and molecular communication. The goal is to provide seamless end-to-end communication between nanodevices located inside the body or implanted within it—such as highly miniaturized biosensors—and external monitoring or control units in the context of future 6G+ networks. The project combines theoretical modeling, communication and information-theoretic analysis, computer simulations, and experimental validation. Based on these foundations, novel transmission, sensing, estimation, and detection techniques for integrated IoBNT systems are being developed and evaluated. The long-term objective is to create an IoBNT platform that bridges the biological environment of the human body with the digital world of future 6G+ networks, thereby establishing scientific and technological foundations for interdisciplinary research in medicine, biology, chemistry, biotechnology, and communications engineering.
Partners
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
- Technische Universität Darmstadt
- Technische Universität München
- Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz GmbH
- Universität zu Lübeck
- Technische Universität Dresden
- Technische Universität Berlin
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Dieter Schotten
