3D printed bionic ears.

The ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological tissue with functional electronics could enable the creation of bionic organs possessing enhanced functionalities over their human counterparts. Conventional electronic devices are inherently two-dimensional, preventing seamless multidimensional integration with synthetic biology, as the processes and materials are very different. Here, we present a novel strategy for overcoming these difficulties via additive manufacturing of biological cells with structural and nanoparticle derived electronic elements.

Voltage-gated ion transport through semiconducting conical nanopores formed by metal nanoparticle-assisted plasma etching.

Nanopores with conical geometries have been found to rectify ionic current in electrolytes. While nanopores in semiconducting membranes are known to modulate ionic transport through gated modification of pore surface charge, the fabrication of conical nanopores in silicon (Si) has proven challenging. Here, we report the discovery that gold (Au) nanoparticle (NP)-assisted plasma etching results in the formation of conical etch profiles in Si.

A one-step etching method to produce gold nanoparticle coated silicon microwells and microchannels.

Gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) have large surface areas and novel optical properties and can be readily functionalized using thiol-based chemistry; hence, they are useful in bioanalytical chemistry. Here, we describe a one-step, plasma-etching process that results in the spontaneous formation of Au NP coated recessed microstructures in silicon (Si). Mechanistically, the plasma etch rate of Si was enhanced in the vicinity of 10-100 nm thick Au patterns resulting in the formation of microwells or microchannels uniformly coated with 20-30 nm sized Au NPs.

Nanogap dielectric spectroscopy for aptamer-based protein detection.

Among the various label-free methods for monitoring biomolecular interactions, capacitive sensors stand out due to their simple instrumentation and compatibility with multiplex formats. However, electrode polarization due to ion gradient formation and noise from solution conductance limited early dielectric spectroscopic measurements to high frequencies only, which in turn limited their sensitivity to biomolecular interactions, as the applied excitation signals were too fast for the charged macromolecules to respond. To minimize electrode polarization effects, capacitive sensors with 20 nm electrode separation were fabricated using silicon dioxide sacrificial layer techniques.

BioMEMS -Advancing the Frontiers of Medicine.

Biological and medical application of micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) is currently seen as an area of high potential impact. Integration of biology and microtechnology has resulted in the development of a number of platforms for improving biomedical and pharmaceutical technologies. This review provides a general overview of the applications and the opportunities presented by MEMS in medicine by classifying these platforms according to their applications in the medical field.