Biochemistry of Targets and Probes

This third chapter introduces the biochemistry of organic and biological molecules as detection target or probes at the bio/CMOS interfaces. The chapter actually starts with the definitions of hydrocarbons and alkyl organic molecules, which are for humans both metabolites and building blocks of biological macromolecules. Then, the biological meaning of amino acids is shown as well as their use in nature to build up proteins in cell ribosomes. The use of peptide bonds to create polypeptides is discussed in detail, and the different possible configurations in 3D space of polypeptides are introduced: beta sheet, alpha helix, and random coil. Several crystallographic 3D structures of proteins relevant to the aim of the book are then shown, highlighting the role of the different 3D configurations in realizing the protein. The chapter then closes with the introduction of another key important class of biological molecules to the book’s aim: nucleic acids.