The controlled movement of electrons through the semiconductor nanostructures is the foundation of the entire information technology revolution. In the living systems, information processing also takes place, and it involves well-regulated transport of molecules through a complex network of cells using atomically precise machines likes membrane receptors, channels, and pumps. While there has been several efforts over the last few decades to connect these two radically different systems into one information-processing whole, these efforts have not succeeded, because of the structural, mechanical and biochemical mismatch at the interface of living biological elements and nonliving electronic elements. To solve this mismatch, a new approach to abiotic-biotic interface will be developed, based on DNA nanotechnology, that plays to the strength of both systems. The project will provide numerous training opportunities to various cohorts of undergraduate students at three research universities.
In this work, the investigators will build a DNA based “planar artificial gap junction†inspired by naturally occurring biological complexes, called gap junctions, to enable a programmable, modular, interface between biological elements (like proteins, cells and tissues) and semiconductor devices. Much like how natural gap junctions are formed from the protein/peptide pores that self-assemble at the interface of two cells, artificial gap junctions are formed by precisely positioning a defined number of DNA molecules at the active region of a CMOS device that can convert ionic signals into electronic signals. Using the ability to easily modify DNA nanostructures, the investigators will optimize the performance of these artificial gap junctions as well as make them responsive to arbitrary external signals, including molecular signals. Finally, they use the modular architecture of our artificial gap junction to demonstrate direct electronic read-out of molecular information from different biomolecular systems.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
