Biomaterials for Bioelectronics and Nanofluidics

Our group works at the interface of biophysics and materials science to develop materials and structures that deliver new and unique functionality. Our goal is to develop versatile interfaces that allow seamless bidirectional information and matter exchange between biological organisms and man-made structures and open new paradigms in bioengineering, medicine and nanotechnology.  

Our key research capability is focused on using 1D nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires, in applications that range from constructing functional ion channel mimics for high performance membranes and delivery systems, to developing bioelectronic devices that incorporate functional membrane channels, proteins, and pumps.  We have recently developed carbon nanotube porins - artificial membrane channels that mimic the transport functionality of biological channels – which allow us to study physics of nanofluidic transport in highly-confined spaces and serve as a fundamental building block for a range of separation, delivery and interfacing applications.

Our group also has developed a unique capability to visualize real-time dynamics of molecular assemblies at the nanometer scale using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). This instrument allows up to capture protein and DNA in motion in-situ at near video rates and reveal the details of their interactions.