Nanolithographic Fabrication Technologies for Network-Based Biocomputation Devices.

Network-based biocomputation (NBC) relies on accurate guiding of biological agents through nanofabricated channels produced by lithographic patterning techniques. Here, we report on the large-scale, wafer-level fabrication of optimized microfluidic channel networks (NBC networks) using electron-beam lithography as the central method. To confirm the functionality of these NBC networks, we solve an instance of a classical non-deterministic-polynomial-time complete ("NP-complete") problem, the subset-sum problem.

Solving Exact Cover Instances with Molecular-Motor-Powered Network-Based Biocomputation.

Information processing by traditional, serial electronic processors consumes an ever-increasing part of the global electricity supply. An alternative, highly energy efficient, parallel computing paradigm is network-based biocomputation (NBC). In NBC a given combinatorial problem is encoded into a nanofabricated, modular network.

Multiplication of Motor-Driven Microtubules for Nanotechnological Applications.

Microtubules gliding on motor-functionalized surfaces have been explored for various nanotechnological applications. However, when moving over large distances (several millimeters) and long times (tens of minutes), microtubules are lost due to surface detachment. Here, we demonstrate the multiplication of kinesin-1-driven microtubules that comprises two concurrent processes: (i) severing of microtubules by the enzyme spastin and (ii) elongation of microtubules by self-assembly of tubulin dimers at the microtubule ends.

Gate Spacer Investigation for Improving the Speed of High-Frequency Carbon Nanotube-Based Field-Effect Transistors.

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based field-effect transistors have demonstrated great potential for high-frequency (HF) analog transceiver electronics. Despite significant advancements, one of the remaining challenges is the optimization of the device architecture for obtaining the highest possible speed and linearity. While most studies so far have concentrated on symmetrical top gated FET devices, we report on the impact of the device architecture on their HF performance.

Regeneration of Assembled, Molecular-Motor-Based Bionanodevices.

The guided gliding of cytoskeletal filaments, driven by biomolecular motors on nano/microstructured chips, enables novel applications in biosensing and biocomputation. However, expensive and time-consuming chip production hampers the developments. It is therefore important to establish protocols to regenerate the chips, preferably without the need to dismantle the assembled microfluidic devices which contain the structured chips.

Nanoscale switch for vortex polarization mediated by Bloch core formation in magnetic hybrid systems.

Vortices are fundamental magnetic topological structures characterized by a curling magnetization around a highly stable nanometric core. The control of the polarization of this core and its gyration is key to the utilization of vortices in technological applications. So far polarization control has been achieved in single-material structures using magnetic fields, spin-polarized currents or spin waves.