Page 13 - ITU Journal Future and evolving technologies Volume 2 (2021), Issue 3 – Internet of Bio-Nano Things for health applications

ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies, Volume 2 (2021), Issue 3

INTERNET OF BIO‑NANO THINGS: A REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS, ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
AND KEY CHALLENGES

1
Murat Kuscu and Bige Deniz Unluturk 2
1
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koc University, Rumelifeneri Yolu 34450, Sariyer, Istanbul,
2
Turkey, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, 775 Woodlot Dr., East Lansing,
48823, MI, USA
NOTE: Corresponding author: mkuscu@ku.edu.tr

Abstract – Internet of Bio‑Nano Things (IoBNT) is envisioned to be a heterogeneous network of nanoscale and biological
devices, socalledBio‑NanoThings(BNTs), communicatingvianon‑conventionalmeans, e.g., molecularcommunications(MC),
in non‑conventional environments, e.g., inside human body. The main objective of this emerging networking framework is to
enable direct and seamless interaction with biological systems for accurate sensing and control of their dynamics in real time.
This close interaction between bio and cyber domains with unprecedentedly high spatio‑temporal resolution is expected to
open up vast opportunities to devise novel applications, especially in healthcare area, such as intrabody continuous health
monitoring. There are, however, substantial challenges to be overcome if the enormous potential of the IoBNT is to be realized.
These range from developing feasible nanocommunication and energy harvesting techniques for BNTs to handling the big
data generated by IoBNT. In this survey, we attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the IoBNT framework along with
its main components and applications. An investigation of key technological challenges is presented together with a detailed
review of the state‑of‑the‑art approaches and a discussion of future research directions.

Keywords – Internet of Bio‑Nano Things, molecular communications, nanonetworks, bio‑cyber interfaces, THz‑band
nanocommunications, nanomachines, nanobiosensors, molecular machines, nanoscale energy harvesting

1. INTRODUCTION (iv) design of and

interfaces of new IoBNT
As Internet of Things (IoT) approaches technological ma‑
applications [10, 11, 12].
turity with growing number of applications on the mar‑
ket integrativ ideas emer t current
boundaries of IoT and extend its application r One Along aforementioned directions, survey
presents respect the
appr follow regards the
practical implementation
universe interconnected which t ob‑
of IoBNT T irst attempt provide a
served, understood, and manipulated with new informa‑
of discussion
tion and communication technologies (ICT). At the center
natural systems, inspire
of this approach lies an emerging ICT framework, the In‑
researchers designing icial systems.
ternet of Bio‑Nano Things (IoBNT), envisioning the
These biological human‑body nanonetworks,
heterogeneous collaborative networks of natural and
nervous nanonetwork, bacterial nanonetworks,
arti icial nano‑biological functional devices
plant these
engineered bacteria, human cells, nanobiosensors),
systems icial systems that monitor and
seamlessly integrated to the Internet infrastructure
their enable
IoBNT is positioned to extend our connectivity and
control over non‑conventional domains (e.g., human applications. discussion of
body) with unprecedented spatio‑temporal of various
enabling paradigm‑shifting applications, particularly types of BNTs, including engineered‑cell based BNTs and
domain, arti icial molecular and nanomachines, which ultimately
monitoring and theranostic systems with single determine capabilities of IoBNT This followed
molecular precision. The broad application prospects of review of potential applications. Although
IoBNT have attracted signi icant research interest at the most of them concern there are many novel
intersection of ICT, bionanotechnology, and medical applications promised by
sciences, with the great ma‑ jority of studies directed IoBNT food quality control,
towards (i) the design and implementation of Bio‑Nano pollutants, are
Things (BNTs) (ii) the understanding of natural reviewed in this paper.
IoBNTs (e.g., nervous nanonet‑ (iii) We also provide a comprehensive review of the key tech‑
communication and networking nical challenges in realizing the IoBNT applications, and
methods for IoBNT (e.g., molecular communications) overview state‑of‑the‑art future

© International Telecommunication Union, 2021 1