Ionic Channels as Natural Nanodevices
Abstract
The goal of the project was to make ion channels into practical devices that can be controlled for medical and technological use. Ion channels are proteins embedded in the lipid membrane of biological cells. Because of their structural characteristics, ion channels are responsible for regulating the flux of ionic charge across the cellular membrane. This particular effort pursued the integration of natural ion channels and artificial microelectronic components in hybrid bio-devices that couple some of the best aspects of the two worlds. Once the control of channels is understood, the opportunity will exist to produce a technology as important for ions as transistors are for electrons. The focus of this effort evolved from the development of tools, to the use of those tools to make novel interfaces to ionic channels. The overall effort involved a combination of modeling, simulation experimentation, and fabrication of a demonstration vehicle for a concept of embedding channels in a membrane on silicon. Early activity in this project expanded the theoretical understand of ion channels. The resulting demonstration vehicle provides insight into the performance of ion channels, bringing together important building blocks for a fully integrated biosensor with on-chip sensing and signal processing.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA451607
Entities
People
- Robert Eisenberg
Organizations
- Rush University Medical Center