Newsletter: the delicate touch-a new nanoscale transistors allow sensitive probing into cells

Charles Lieber courtesy

A new hardware device, a small, can be used for sensitive tests for the presence of cells reflectivity is developed, chemists and engineers Harvard. figure shows two-terminal nanoscale electronic sensor supply a single cell.

Chemists and engineers Harvard University is the point of a new V-shaped nanowires will be small for the Interior of the transistor cells fragile is being considered.

A new device, this week in the journal Science that is described in less than many of the viruses and about one-hundredth of the now use cellular measurements, which can be almost equal to the width of the cells themselves. Its slenderness probes is a significant improvement of these bulkier probes that can damage the cells insertion, reduce the accuracy or reliability of the information received.

Top author Charles m. Lieber, Mark Hyman Jr. Professor of Chemistry, Harvard "in our use of field-effect transistors nanoscale or intracellular nanoFETs, represents the first entirely new approach to studies for otc appetite suppressors
decades, the first device of semiconductor products within a cell and" says."NanoFETs are intracellular studies first new electrical measurement tool since the 1960s, in which electronics are developed considerably."

Lieber, and colleagues that nanoFETs could be used in the ion flux or electrical signals in the cells, in particular neurons. devices can also be fitted with a single Probe-induced or ligands within a cell for the presence of biochemicals.

Human cells can vary from about 10 microns (meter millionths) from nerve cells 50 microns for cells of the heart.Current probes to measure the diameter of not more than 5 microns, nanoFETs are several orders of: less than 50 aaltopituusalueella (billionths meter) together with the nanowire, examine yourself only to measure the diameter 15 aaltopituusalueella.

From small size, with the exception of the two features allow easy diameter nanoFETs cells. first of all, Lieber, and colleagues, it was found that the coating with Phospholipid bilayer — structures, while at the same time significant cell membranes are made — devices easily dragged through the cell membrane filters fusion, associated with the process, viruses and bacteria to engulf you.

"This eliminates the need to push nanoFETs cell, because they are mainly fused with the cell membrane of the cell on their own machine," says Lieber."This also means there is no cursor nanoFETs almost as characters in a cell in the current electrical probes. we found that nanoFETs can add and remove several times without detectable damage from cell to cell. We even use them to measure all the time, when a device enters and exits cell."

Second, the current book is based on the previous job lieber's team triangular "stereocenters" — fixed, 120 degrees joins — as part of the nanowires, structures, which has previously been firmly attached to the linear. These stereocenters found several complex organic molecules chemical hubs analog include kinks, 1-D nanostructures by complex forms.

Lieber and his co-authors, it was found that the introduction of two 120-degree angles incorporated into the nanowire the appropriate cis means create one V-shaped 60-degree angle, ideal for the leading edge of two policy nanoFET. v sensor can be connected to Both the power to create the circuit through nanoscale transistor.

Lieber's co-authors Science paper are Bozhi Tian, Tzahi Cohen-Karni, Quan Qing, Xiaojie Eddy and Ping Xie, all Harvard's Department of Chemistry and chemical Biology and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. work is sponsored by health institutes and McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience.

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