Organism-hardware interface via molecular-scale gates

摘要

Interfacing organisms and hardware is a promising and challenging research frontier. The threat of biological weapons and the rising cost of health care have pushed detection of pathogens and their toxins to the forefront of that frontier. Both the military and the civilian sectors require that this detection be fast, accurate, sensitive, and inexpensive. We describe an electrochemical detection method that relies upon "molecular-scale gates" capable of being activated by a biological agent. We discuss our most recent experimental and modeling results, which take into account DNA folding and introduce the concept of tethering to boost the detection signal. Preliminary results show dramatic and specific recognition of target molecules.