(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020-05)
Thompson, David P.
Multiple methods are used today to recognize biomolecular interactions, often utilizing thermodynamic and chemical procedures. These methods have been well established over decades of use. However, they tend to require numerous interactions and therefore may miss interactions such as those between a single ligand and receptor cell. Application of electrostatic and electrical engineering theories may provide a novel approach to identification of biomolecular recognition events. At a very basic level every molecule is comprised of individual atoms where each atom has a specific electrical charge. Observing these charges from points at short distances outside the molecule generates an electrostatic field pattern. This pattern may provide a unique potential signature to any given molecule and therefore biomolecular interactions as well. Electrical engineering, through applied radar signaling theory, provides methods to detect specific electromagnetic patterns against a background of noise. If we can identify and characterize a unique electrostatic potential pattern for a given interaction, then utilization of radar theory through matched filters may one day permit recognizing individual biomolecular events, eliminating the current requirement of numerous interactions for biomolecular recognition.