Nanowire-based nanoelectronic devices in the life sciences

The interface between nanosystems and biosystems is emerging as one of the broadest and most dynamic areas of science and technology, bringing together biology, chemistry, physics, biotechnology, medicine, and many areas of engineering. The combination of these diverse areas of research promises to yield revolutionary advances in healthcare, medicine, and the life sciences through the creation of new and powerful tools that enable direct, sensitive, and rapid analysis of biological and chemical species. Devices based on nanowires have emerged as one of the most powerful and general platforms for ultrasensitive, direct electrical detection of biological and chemical species and for building functional interfaces to biological systems, including neurons. Here, we discuss representative examples of nanowire nanosensors for ultrasensitive detection of proteins and individual virus particles as well as recording, stimulation, and inhibition of neuronal signals in nanowire-neuron hybrid structures.