Methods and systems for detecting bioanalytes

A sensing system for determining and/or monitoring a presence and/or level of an analyte in a sample, wherein the sample is a biological sample and wherein the analyte is a bioanalyte, the system comprising a field effect transistor having a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate electrode, and a channel between said source and drain electrodes, said channel being a semiconducting nanostructure having a hydrogel covalently attached thereto, said hydrogel having incorporated therein a sensing moiety which is a bioanalyte-specific reagent and being configured such that upon contacting the bioanalyte, said nanostructure exhibits a detectable change in an electrical property, said electrical property comprising electron density on a surface of said nanostructure, wherein upon contacting the analyte, said hydrogel exhibits a deformation, said deformation leading to said detectable change in said electrical property of said nanostructure, wherein said nanostructure is a silicon nanowire, and wherein said hydrogel is selected capable of impregnating a biological moiety while maintaining an activity of said biological moiety.