Nanobiotechnology

Nanobiotechnology is an interdisciplinary technology, in which nanotechnology and biotechnology overlap. It aims at the imitation of nature for technical purposes, is being recognized in contrast to the Bionic on the nanoscale level. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has taken nanobiotechnology in its programs.

Possible areas of application

One goal of nanobiotechnology is the coupling of biological and electronic systems. Thus rat nerve cells are now already been incorporated into silicon semiconductor structures, allowing direct transmission of nerve impulses in the form of electronic signals. About this route can be, for example, stimulate the optic nerve directly, so that blind people can perceive a rough rasterized image and distinguish black and white.

Another application are microsystems such as nano- machines or biomolecular motors. Particularly convenient is the ability to move certain protein complexes advantage. These biomolecular motors can be roughly divided into two groups:

Furthermore, bio-based sensors are conceivable. The maltose binding protein changes its conformation, once a specific molecule ( here, the maltose ) binds to the protein, is an example of a protein system that is responsive reversible chemical change. So it has already succeeded in the isolated protein (via a biomolecular anchor and complexation with nickel to a self-assembled monolayer ) to tie on a gold electrode. A redox-active protein in the Rutheniumgruppe was added at a particular location, so that this is brought about by the structural change, caused by a relatively shallow location in a more distant position. The distance between the Rutheniumgruppe of the electrode surface can be detected as an electrochemical signal. So biosensors could be developed, with which very small amounts of maltose ( or other molecules ) can be detected.

Other possible applications are:

• Self- assembled monolayers (self - assembled monolayer, SAM)
• " Nanowires " that are manufactured using a DNA template and could find application, for example in computer technology.
• Selective DNA hybridization procedures technically usable, through specific combination of components with corresponding DNA strands