New Smart Sensor Identifies Present Molecules by Remembering the Past

Newswise — Osaka, Japan - Most sensors are designed to do only one thing: detect what passes through them. But what if a sensor could do more? To create a new generation of technology, researchers have looked at living systems for inspiration. If a sensor could detect molecules, could it also remember previous interactions and selectively respond to them? Researchers have now developed a device that does exactly that at a tiny scale, laying the groundwork for a new generation of smart molecular sensors. In an article recently published in ACS Nano , researchers from SANKEN at the University of Osaka and collaborating institutions have created an autonomous solid-state nanopore that can sense molecules, generate electrical signals, and retain memories of recent events, without external control.