Integration of biomolecular logic gates with field-effect transducers

The integration of biomolecular logic gates with field-effect devices – the basic element of conventional electronic logic gates and computing – is one of the most attractive and promising approaches for the transformation of biomolecular logic principles into macroscopically useable electrical output signals. In this work, capacitive field-effect EIS (electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor) sensors based on a p-Si–SiO2–Ta2O5 structure modified with a multi-enzyme membrane have been used for electronic transduction of biochemical signals processed by enzyme-based OR and AND logic gates. The realised OR logic gate composes of two enzymes (glucose oxidase and esterase) and was activated by ethyl butyrate or/and glucose. The AND logic gate composes of three enzymes (invertase, mutarotase and glucose oxidase) and was activated by two chemical input signals: sucrose and dissolved oxygen. The developed integrated enzyme logic gates produce local pH changes at the EIS sensor surface as a result of biochemical reactions activated by different combinations of chemical input signals, while the pH value of the bulk solution remains unchanged. The pH-induced charge changes at the gate-insulator (Ta2O5) surface of the EIS transducer result in an electronic signal corresponding to the logic output produced by the immobilised enzymes. The logic output signals have been read out by means of a constant–capacitance method.

► Enzyme-based AND/OR logic gates are integrated with a capacitive field-effect sensor.
► The AND/OR logic gates compose of multi-enzyme system immobilised on sensor surface.
► Logic gates were activated by different combinations of chemical inputs (analytes).
► The logic output (pH change) produced by the enzymes was read out by the sensor.