Supported Lipid Bilayer Nanopore Protein Gated All Semiconducting Nanotube Network Devices

We demonstrate an integrated system in which all-semiconducting nanotube network transistors are coated directly with lipid bilayers which contain transmembrane ion channel proteins gramicidin A (gA) and α-Hemolysin (α-HL). Dynamic opening and closing of the pores is observed through measurement of the current from the nanotube network, through the nanopores, and into solution. The pores investigated pass either only cations (gA) or both anions and cations (a-HL), allowing a study of the effect of both species on the threshold voltage and mobility of the nanotube network. Blocking of the ion channel currents is demonstrated to occur with PEG, indicating potential applications in nanopore based sequencing technologies. The all-semiconducting nanotube network devices are compatible with low cost printed electronics, opening a window for massively parallel manufacturing of nanotechnology for a variety of applications in electrophysiology and biosensors.