Detecting Molecules of Biological Interest via Solid State Nanopores

Nanopores have become known recently for their sensing abilities. They have the potential for uses in medical diagnosis and personalized medicine.

Solid state nanopores are fabricated by drilling through a thin insulating membrane composed of Si3N4 using HR-TEM. The membrane is then placed between two chambers filled with electrolyte solution and ionic current flowing through the pore is electrically monitored. The desired analyte can be driven through the pore by voltage application. When an analyte is translocated through the pore, a blockage in the ionic current, which is typical to the analyte, is observed.

We focus on developing the performance of solid-state nanopores in detecting the desired analyte (DNA, GNPs and proteins). One major goal is hybridizing the pore with SP1 protein pore, the hybrid pore will combine the advantages of the protein pore and the solid state nanopore, and will present better interaction between the pore and DNA, hence, slowing down the speed of translocation.