Publications by authors named "Boyan Penkov"

Discrete amplitude levels in ordered, time-domain data often represent different underlying latent states of the system that is being interrogated. Analysis and feature extraction from these data sets generally require considering the order of each individual point; this approach cannot take advantage of contemporary general-purpose graphics processing units (gpGPU) and single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) instruction set architectures. Two sources of such data from single-molecule biological measurements are nanopores and single-molecule field effect transistor (smFET) nanotube devices; both generate streams of time-ordered current or voltage data, typically sampled near 1 MS/s, with run times of minutes, yielding terabyte-scale datasets.

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Article Synopsis
  • Small molecules like neurotransmitters are essential for biological functions, but traditional methods for detecting them often lack portability and sensitivity to single molecules.
  • This study introduces carbon-nanotube-based single-molecule field-effect transistors (smFETs) as a new method to detect the charge of individual molecules, specifically demonstrating their use in quantifying serotonin.
  • By observing changes in the electrical conductance of the nanotube when a DNA aptamer binds to serotonin, the research reveals detailed insights into the dynamics of molecular interactions and specific conformational changes that occur during binding events.
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Inverting a semiconducting channel is the basis of all field-effect transistors. In silicon-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), a gate dielectric mediates this inversion. Access to inversion layers may be granted by interfacing ultrathin low-dimensional semiconductors in heterojunctions to advance device downscaling.

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The cell wall of mycobacteria includes a thick, robust, and highly impermeable outer membrane made from long-chain mycolic acids. These outer membranes form a primary layer of protection for mycobacteria and directly contribute to the virulence of diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy. We have formed in vitro planar membranes using pure mycolic acids on circular apertures 20 to 90 μm in diameter.

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Silicon waveguides are now widely used to guide radiation in the near-infrared, mainly in the wavelength range of 1.1 - 2.2 microm.

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