Transistors are basic electronic devices that amplify or switch electronic impulses. They are essential building elements in modern electronic circuits and are used in a variety of applications such as computers and telecommunications devices.
Transistors were a pivotal innovation in the evolution of electronic technology, and they have played a critical part in the miniaturization and advancement of electronic equipment. However, they could be even better.
Researchers at Tufts University Silklab have invented part-biological transistors that can change and adapt to their environment like living tissues. They did this by replacing the devices’ insulating materials with biological silk.
The team's initial prototype device used the new hybrid transistors to create a highly sensitive and ultrafast breath sensor that detected even subtle changes in humidity. By incorporating further alterations to the silk layer, the scientists succeeded in allowing the device to detect certain cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders, as well as carbon dioxide levels and other gases and chemicals in the breath. The invention can now be used to provide diagnostic information faster and more efficiently.
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