A graphene nanomesh based charge sensor and method for producing a graphene nanomesh based charge sensor. The method includes generating multiple holes in graphene in a periodic way to create a graphene nanomesh with a patterned array of multiple holes, passivating an edge of each of the multiple holes of the graphene nanomesh to allow for functionalization of the graphene nanomesh, and functionalizing the passivated edge of each of the multiple holes of the graphene nanomesh with a chemical compound that facilitates chemical binding of a receptor of a target molecule to the edge of one or more of the multiple holes, allowing the target molecule to bind to the receptor, causing a charge to be transferred to the graphene nanomesh to produce a graphene nanomesh based charge sensor for the target molecule.