Direct real-time detection of single proteins using silicon nanowire-based electrical circuits

We present an efficient strategy through surface functionalization to build a single silicon nanowire field-effect transistor-based biosensor that is capable of directly detecting protein adsorption/desorption at the single-event level. The step-wise signals in real-time detection of His-tag F1-ATPases demonstrate a promising electrical biosensing approach with single-molecule sensitivity, thus opening up new opportunities for studying single-molecule biophysics in broad biological systems.