State of the fields
Bioelectricity spans developmental biology, medicine, engineering and ecology. Each field below has a reviewed overview of what is known, what is contested, and how close it is to real-world use.
- 1Early research
- 2Emerging
- 3Translational
- 4In the clinic
- 5Established
- Morphogenesis & RegenerationHow voltage patterns across non-neural tissue help decide the shape of bodies, and whether they can be rewritten to regrow them.2 entries · latest 26 Jan 2022Emerging
- Bioelectronic MedicineTreating disease by stimulating peripheral nerves, especially the vagus nerve, instead of, or alongside, drugs.2 entries · latest 13 Apr 2026In the clinic
- Neural Interfaces & BCIsReading from and writing to the nervous system to restore speech, movement and sensation.2 entries · latest 23 Aug 2023Translational
- Cancer BioelectricityMembrane voltage, ion channels and nerve–tumour signalling as drivers of cancer, and as targets for treating it.0 entriesTranslational
- Synthetic Morphology & BiobotsBuilding new living forms, such as xenobots and anthrobots, from unmodified cells to probe what cells can do outside their normal context.3 entries · latest 30 Nov 2023Early research
- Ion Channels & ExcitabilityThe molecular machinery of bioelectricity, and the tools that let researchers watch and control it.2 entries · latest 18 Nov 2025Established
- Wound Healing & Tissue RepairNatural electric fields at injury sites steer cells to close wounds, and devices aim to amplify them.3 entries · latest 18 Mar 2025Translational
- ElectromicrobiologyBacteria that conduct electricity over centimetres, exchange electrons with minerals, and signal with ion waves.0 entriesEmerging
- Plant ElectrophysiologyPlants use electrical and calcium signals to sense touch and injury and send alarms across their tissues.0 entriesEmerging
- Tools & MaterialsSoft, conformable and dissolvable electronics that connect to living tissue on biology's terms.0 entriesTranslational