文摘
The traditional motivation for integrating biological components into microfabricated devices has been tocreate biosensors that meld the molecular recognition capabilities of biology with the signal processingcapabilities of electronic devices. However, a different motivation is emerging; biological components arebeing explored to radically change how fabrication is achieved at the micro- and nanoscales. Here we reviewbiofabrication, the use of biological materials for fabrication, and focus on three specific biofabricationapproaches: directed assembly, where localized external stimuli are employed to guide assembly; enzymaticassembly, where selective biocatalysts are enlisted to build macromolecular structure; and self-assembly,where information internal to the biological material guides its own assembly. Also reviewed are recentresults with the aminopolysaccharide chitosan, a material that offers a combination of properties uniquelysuited for biofabrication. In particular, chitosan can be directed to assemble in response to locally appliedelectrical signals, and the chitosan backbone provides sites that can be employed for the assembly of proteins,nucleic acids, and virus particles.
