Nano Initiative: The Single-Molecule DNA Transistor

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

EIA-0103215 Lydia Sohn Princeton University Nano Exploratory Research: The Single-Molecule DNA Transfer The focus of this project is to investigate the possibility of using single molecules of DNA for molecular-based electronic devices. Recent results of single-molecule DNA transistor shows a Coulomb Blockade Staircase and a gate-voltage dependence of the conductance enabling reliable and reproducible conducting DNA devices. This project is furthering this work to investigate the mechanism for DNA conduction and its dependence on various chemical and structural parameters. The single-molecule DNA transistor is being further investigated too understand the mechanism by which DNA conducts. Various questions such as dependence of conductivity of DNA to length and sequence; differences in conductivity between single-stranded and doubled-stranded DNA; dependence of the conduction in DNS to salts from the buffer solution; where are possible scattering centers located in the DNA molecule? Answers to such fundamental questions are expected to lead to a number of future novel molecular-scaled DNA-based electronic devices.