Advances in Electronic Nano-biosensors and New Frontiers in Bioengineering

Abstract

Nano-biosensors offer unprecedented sensitivities over conventional biosensors and enable single bio-molecule analysis. Electronic nano-biosensors offer advantages of label-free detection, low cost, and potential for high-density parallelization. In this paper, we review our past work on electrical detection of DNA and proteins on silicon field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors, ultrasensitive detection of DNA, proteins, and viruses using crumpled graphene FETs, and solid-state nanopore devices for characterization of individual DNA molecules. In addition, a new frontier in bioengineering is the use of biological components for applications in engineering and computing. We also highlight our work on muscle-based miniature bio-robots, and briefly discuss our ongoing work on developing neuron-based bio-computers.