Professor PARK Young Jun of SNU’s Department of Electrical Engineering and his research team have developed a high performance biosensor with the world's greatest sensitivity and measuring range.

SNU announced that the research team has succeeded in creating a"nano biosensor chip", a combination of nano material and semiconductor. Their results were published in the April 2011 issue of ACS Nano, an American chemistry journal.

The biosensor measures the existence, condition, and concentration of specific organic compounds by sensing electrical changes throughout the process of organisms’ various reactions.

The newly developed biosensor is alleged to be able to distinguish 100 DNA molecules at femtomolar concentration, which means it is the world’s best. The range of measurable concentration is also at the greatest level.

Although it was developed for the analysis of DNA sequences, researchers expect it to also help get rid of minute impurities and toxins floating in the atmosphere. Especially as it is attached to semiconductor chips, it will be possible to monitor or transmit the test results for diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease or avian influenza in real time.

Professor Park explained,"Through the nano sensors installed in semiconductor chips, we will be able to locate minute amounts of virus DNAs and toxic substances in infected animals and humans, and to exchange the information through networks freely."

Written by LEE Tae Joon, SNU English Editor, leetjoon@hanmail.net
Proofread by Brett Johnson, SNU English Editor, morningcalm2@gmail.com