Hybrid technology combines nanowires with cell membrane

摘要

Rather than relying on electric currents and wires to convey information, biological systems use membranes, channels, and pumps to control signal transduction throughout the body with a versatility that is unequalled by synthetic devices. Combining electronic and biological systems requires the manmade components to be seamlessly integrated and on the same scale as biological structures. Nipun Misra et al. created a hybrid technology in which silicon nanowires are coated with a lipid bilayer-the same type of membrane that envelops cells and controls the passage through molecules.