Vertical nanowire array-based biosensors: device design strategies and biomedical applications

Abstract

Biosensors have been extensively studied in the areas of biology, electronics, chemistry, biotechnology, medicine, and various engineering fields. The interdisciplinarity creates an ideal platform for scientists to analyze biological species and chemical materials in a direct, efficient, and sensitive manner; this is expected to revolutionize the life sciences, basic medicine, and the healthcare industry. To carry out high-performance biosensing, nanoprobes – with specific nanoscale properties – have been proposed for ultrasensitive and in situ monitoring/detection of tracer biomolecules, cellular behavior, cellular microenvironments, and electrophysiological activity. Here, we review the development of vertical nanowire (VNW) array-based devices for the effective collection of biomedical information at the molecular level, extracellular level, and intracellular level. In particular, we summarize VNW-based technologies in the aspects of detecting biochemical information, cellular information, and bioelectrical information, all of which facilitate the understanding of fundamental biology and development of therapeutic techniques. Finally, we present a conclusion and prospects for the development of VNW platforms in practical biomedical applications, and we identify the challenges and opportunities for VNW-based biosensor systems in future biological research.