NanoBioelectronics with 1-D lipid bilayers on Si nanowires
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: RESEARCH QUESTION: This project aims to develop a new type of functional bio-nanostructures that combine the unique electronic properties and sensitivity of silicon nanowire transistors with the biocompatibility, specificity, and non-fouling properties of lipid bilayer membranes. Such coupling allows nanowire electronics to take advantage of an astonishingly diverse and efficient spectrum of functions performed by membrane channels in living systems that encompass highly specific water and ion transport, signal transduction, molecular recognition, and environmental sensing. Our proposed research program aims to look at the fundamental issues associated with integrating biological components into synthetic nanoscale devices and structures, as well as device architectures that realize such integration. APPROACH: Our devices are based on a key structural element that we have developed and demonstrated recently: a one-dimensional lipid bilayer (1-D bilayer) (Artyukhin, Noy, et. al. JACS, 2005). 1D bilayers consist of a lipid bilayer membrane wrapped around an inorganic nanowire template. Tight integration of the lipid bilayer with the inorganic nanowire makes this structure a gateway for creating functional bio-electronic devices and circuits using mebrane-bound components. This nanostructure also poses a set of interesting basic science questions: Even though biological membranes frequently form tubular shapes with diameters ranging between 10 and 100 nm, we still know rather little about the basic principles that guide membrane assembly at extreme curvatures as well as the extent that curvature modulates the basic membrane characteristics such as its stability and lateral mobility. Very little is known about the permeability and shielding properties of such curved membranes. Our 1-D bilayer platform provides a convenient, flexible and versatile experimental system to obtain quantitative answers to these questions. SPECIFIC AIMS: This project will focus on two major goals: (1) utilizing this architecture to build functional bioelectronic devices that detect transport through biological channels using a nanowire transistor platform; and (2) using these devices to investigate fundamental basic science questions about the properties of biological membranes at extreme curvatures. We will use lithography-based device fabrication process to define individual silicon nanowire transistors and then use lipid self-assembly to complete the 1-D bilayer formation. Electrochemical measurements of redox transport in these systems will provide us with the information about bilayer permeability and shielding characteristics. We will then incorporate functional membrane proteins into the 1D bilayers and use the nanowire transistors to sense specific transport through the biological pore. IMPACT AND FUTURE GOALS: The bioelectronic platform that we will develop could serve as a foundation for a new generation of devices that translate biological signals into electrical signals. Such capability could open up many interesting scientific applications, ranging from in-situ probing and stimulating of biological systems to the next generation of advanced bio-prostheses. This new generation of biosensing platform that we will develop has several advantages that make it also relevant to the LLNL mission in global security and biosecurity. 1D bilayer sensors will have very small footprint, low power consumption and a straightforward path to on-chip multiplexing. However, the main advantage that they offer is their ability to mimic real biological environments and functionality, which could significantly improve their specificity and reduce the error rate. Our future research plans center on exploring this nano-bio-electronic platform further and on developing more complicated bio-electronic circuits that utilize multiple biological components to perform more complicated tasks.