Proteotronics ─ Development of Protein-Based Electronics

Protein-mediated charge transport is of relevant importance in the design of protein-based electronics and in attaining an adequate level of understanding of protein functioning. This is particularly true in the case of transmembrane proteins, such as those pertaining to the G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are involved in a broad range of biological processes, and a large number of clinically used drugs that elicit their biological effects via a GPCR.

This book aims to review a variety of experiments devoted to the investigation of charge transport in proteins and present a unified theoretical model to interpret macroscopic results in terms of the amino-acid backbone structure of a single protein. The purpose of this book is to serve a broad audience of researchers involved in the field of electrical characterization of biological materials and in the development of new molecular devices based on proteins, such as nanometric biological sensors of new generation. The book serves as a reference platform as it surveys the existing data and presents the basis for future development of a new branch of nanoelectronics, called proteotronics, which is formed by mixing proteomics—which is the large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions— and electronics. The main objective of proteotronics is to propose and develop innovative electronic devices that are based on the selective action of specific proteins.

Eleonora Alfinito is a researcher in condensed matter physics at the Salento, University of Lecce, Italy. Her research activity involves quantum field theory, physics of matter, and mathematical physics. Currently, the main areas of her interest are the electrical properties of biological matter, particularly proteins, and the statistical characterization of electrical fluctuations. She has authored and coauthored over 70 publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals.

Jeremy Pousset is a researcher at the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystem of the National Research Council, Lecce, Italy. He received his PhD in electronics from the University of Montpellier 2, France, in 2008, and his research activity was devoted to the problem of terahertz plasma waves in nanodevices and the development of Monte Carlo codes. He has also been involved in the investigation of the electron transport modelling of biological matter. Currently, he is working on the electrical characterization of organic materials. He has authored and coauthored over 20 publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals.

Lino Reggiani is a full professor in physics of matter at the Salento University of Lecce, Italy, where he is carrying out a research activity devoted to the study of electrical properties and fluctuations to characterize materials and devices to be used in nano-electronics and in the development of sensors. He has authored and coauthored over 500 scientific publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals. He is author of the book Hot Carrier Transport in Semiconductors, published by Springer Verlag, Heidelberg (1985).