Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Microelectron. Eng., Rochester Inst. of Technol., Rochester, NY, USA
Abstract :
This invited talk covers fundamentals of nanotechnologies, engineering and science thereby enabling unprecedented advancements and transformative development for engineered and natural (living) systems. Novel consistent, cohesive and coherent paradigms of actuation, communication, processing and sensing are considered and examined. For living organisms, we study macroscopic and microscopic systems which exhibit fundamentally distinct phenomena and utilize different mechanisms. The classical <;quantum-mechanical consistency must be guaranteed. As examples of macroscopic systems, we examine the active (controlled) and passive (uncontrolled) stochastic Brownian dynamics of ions and biomolecules in the synaptic cleft and membranes. The electrostatics, electromagnetic, hydrodynamics, thermodynamic and other forces are examined researching active and passive transport, activation and propagation mechanisms, etc. Studying microscopic systems, the major emphasis is focused on sensing, communication and processing mechanisms due to quantum-mechanical transitions, transductions and evolutions due to photons. For example, biophotonics and neurophotonics examine the role of photons, photonics technology, implication and utilization in medicine, biology, biotechnology and engineering. Basic research, fundamental science and transformative engineering are needed to develop foundations of new technologies and frontiers beyond accepted postulates. The well-developed solid-state microelectronic solutions, such as lasers, optoelectronics, optical waveguides and other may significantly contribute the aforementioned developments enabling invasive and non-invasive medical diagnostics and therapies. Advances are urgently needed. Far-reaching frontiers of science, engineering and medicine can be enabled by fundamental discoveries and advancements in nano- and nanobio-technologies. Quantum-effect microscopic and macroscopic systems can be examined, devised, designed, fabricated and ut- lized. Quantum-mechanical paradigms and nanobiotechnology enable and empower sensing, actuation and processing premises. Living organisms exhibit exceptional information processing, sensing and control utilizing a variety of quantum and electrochemomechanical mechanisms, transitions and transductions. Sensing and processing by molecular systems are accomplished utilizing virtually unknown mechanisms, principles, arithmetics, instructions, etc. In this talk, we will examine possible premises of physics and biophysics of sensing, measurements and processing by molecular systems. Our objectives are to: (1) Present a range of sensing and processing benchmarks exhibited by living organism; (2) Examine the first-principles, computational methods and consistent measurements which can be used to study biological and bio-inspired systems; (3) Develop a molecular level understanding of various mechanisms, processes and functionality; (4) Enable sensing, characterization and evaluation of biosystems empowered by nanobiotechnology; (5) Discuss the natural - engineered systems interactions; (6) Present bio-compliant detection, measurement and characterization solutions by using nanoscaled electronics and MEMS. We focus on quantum-mechanical biophysics consistency, cohesiveness and coherency while exanumng and substantiating proposed paradigms. We will present quantum-mechanical concepts in order to examine processes and mechanisms on biological and bioinspired materials, devices and systems. In particular, photonics, biophotonics, electron transport and other quantum-mechanical phenomena are examined to enable sensing, interfacing and processing platforms.