The human brain is a vast network of billions of
biological cells called neurons which fires electrical signals that
process information, resulting in our senses and thoughts. The ion
channels of atomic scale in each neuron cell membrane play a key
role in such firings that open and close the ion flow in an
individual cell by the electrical voltage applied across the cell
membrane, acting as a ‘biological transistor’ similar to electronic
transistors in computers. For decades, scientists have learned that
biological ion channels are life’s transistors capable to gate
extremely fast and precisely selective permeation of ions through
the atomic-scale selectivity filters to maintain vital living
functions. However, it remains a grand challenge to date to produce
artificial structures to mimic such biological systems for
fundamental understanding and practical applications.
