© 1999 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved.

Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX, 1999

4.2 Chemical and Molecular Nanosensors

The area of chemical microsensors is well developed, and there is increasing research interest in nanoscale chemical sensors,⁴³⁸ "chemosensors"¹²²⁶ and "biosensors".⁹⁸⁹ The most common nanomedical application of chemical sensors will be to measure the concentration of specific molecules and biopolymers in aqueous solvent -- whether in blood serum, interstitial fluid, or cytosol. This may be accomplished using ordered arrays of receptors or by using sorting rotors to directly count molecular populations in known sample volumes. Spatial and temporal concentration gradient sensing is also essential in navigation, communications, and in mediating rapid response to environmental stimuli. Chemotactic sensors may be used to sample the chemical composition of surfaces.

Last updated on 16 February 2003