Semiconductor for measuring biological interactions

US8614466B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services · US
• UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE · US
• UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK · US

Inventors

• Avraham Rasooly · Silver Spring, US
• Minghui Yang · Ithaca, US
• Hugh A. Bruck · Wheaton, US
• Yordan Kostov · Columbia, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 18, 2009
• Grant date: Dec 24, 2013
• Expiry date: Jun 21, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N33/5438
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for electrically directly detecting biomolecular binding in a semiconductor. The semiconductor can be based on electrical percolation of nanomaterial formed in the gate region. In one embodiment of an apparatus, a semiconductor includes first and second electrodes with a gate region there between. The gate region includes a multilayered matrix of electrically conductive material with capture molecules for binding target molecules, such as antibody, receptors, DNA, RNA, peptides and aptamer. The molecular interactions between the capture molecules and the target molecules disrupts the matrix's continuity resulting in a change in electrical resistance, capacitance or impedance. The increase in resistance, capacitance or impedance can be directly measured electronically, without the need for optical sensors or labels. The multi-layered matrix can be formed from a plurality of single-walled nanotubes, graphene, or buckeyballs or any kind of conductive nanowire, such as metal nanowires or nanowires made from conductive polymers.