Biofabrication: using biological materials and biocatalysts to construct nanostructured assemblies

Emerging opportunities are placing greater demands on device fabrication: next-generation microelectronics will need minimum features of less than 100 nm, high-throughput drug screening will require facile methods to incorporate sensitive biological components into microelectromechanical systems (ME...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in biotechnology (Regular ed.) 2004-11, Vol.22 (11), p.593-599
Main Authors: Wu, Li-Qun, Payne, Gregory F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biocatalysts
Biocompatible Materials - chemistry
Biological and medical sciences
Biology
Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation
Biosensing Techniques - methods
Biotechnology
Catalysis
Construction
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Enzymes
Enzymes - chemistry
Equipment Design - methods
Fabrication
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects
Lipids
Manufactured Materials
Marriage
Miniaturization
Molecular weight
Nanotechnology - methods
Other applications
Proteins
R&D
Raw materials
Research & development
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Emerging opportunities are placing greater demands on device fabrication: next-generation microelectronics will need minimum features of less than 100 nm, high-throughput drug screening will require facile methods to incorporate sensitive biological components into microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and implantable devices will need to be built from biocompatible materials. Increasingly, these emerging demands are being addressed by combining traditional microfabrication methods with ‘biofabrication’: namely, the use of biologically derived materials and biocatalysts. Recent fabrication techniques are using biological construction materials as process aids or structural components, and enzymes are being considered for their potential to fabricate devices with high selectivity under mild conditions. If incompatibilities between biology and microfabrication can be eliminated, then biofabrication will be poised to emerge as the standard for nanoscale construction.
ISSN:0167-7799
1879-3096
DOI:10.1016/j.tibtech.2004.09.008