Intracellular silicon chips in living cells.

Recent advances in microtechnology and nanotechnology have enabled microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoparticles to be used as interactive devices in cell biology. Even though silicon MEMS, based on photolithographic processes, exhibit high performance and versatility their use has been limited to extracellular applications, that is, cell biomolecular recognition, manipulation, mechanical analysis, weighing, and positioning. In contrast, reported microand nanoparticles, characteristically formed or produced by chemical synthesis, have been used for intracellular applications. Nowadays, progress in miniaturization of microelectronics and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) technologies allows the fabrication of small silicon chips, a micrometer-size slice of a semiconductor material. Complex structures, smaller than cells, can be mass produced with nanometer precision in shape and dimensions and at low cost. Silicon, widely used by microelectronics industries, has been shown to have excellent electrical, mechanical, and