A single shot transforms the mice’s brains into biomanufacturing machines. Blood proteins churn the injected chemicals into a soft, flexible electrode mesh that seamlessly wraps around delicate neurons. Pulses of light aimed at the mesh quiet hyperactive cells. All the while, the mice go about their merry ways, with no inkling they’ve been turned into cyborgs. This science fiction-like invention is the brainchild of Purdue University scientists seeking to reimagine brain implants. These devices, often composed of rigid microelectrode chips, have already changed lives. They can collect electrical signals from the brain or spinal cord and translate these signals into speech or movement—returning lost abilities to people with paralysis or diseases of the brain. Implants can also jolt brain activity and pull people out of severe depression . Yet most implants require extensive surgery and risk damaging the brain’s delicate tissue.…