Silk-Based Conformal, Adhesive, Edible Food Sensors

An array of passive metamaterial antennas fabricated on an all protein-based silk substrates that were conformally transferred and adhered to the surface of an apple. This process allows the opportunity for intimate contact of micro- and nanostructures that can probe their surrounding environment with surfaces of evolving properties, and accordingly monitor their changes. This was applied to provide in situ monitoring of food quality. It is to be noted that this type of sensor consists of all edible and biodegradable components, holding utility and potential relevance for healthcare and food/consumer products and markets.