Our work on nanopore sensing of ITP-focused analytes is out now in Nanoscale
Microfluidic device for coupling isotachophoretic sample focusing with nanopore single-molecule sensing
Nanopore sensing remains challenging at low target concentrations, where the detection rate is limited by slow diffusion of analytes into the sensing volume. In this work, we show that an electrokinetic preconcentration method called isotachophoresis (ITP) can be used to deliver a highly concentrated zone of analytes to a solid-state nanopore. The key to ITP-nanopore sensing lies in the ability to electrically decouple the two modes to avoid damaging the fragile dielectric membrane. By choosing electrolyte conditions that enable both efficient focusing and sensing, and by implementing electrical switching in a custom microfluidic device, we show that ITP focusing can enhance the event rate by over 300 times compared to free diffusion.
Congratulations to Nitinun for the publication of her Chem Society Review paper
Proteins are the structural elements and machinery of cells responsible for a functioning biological architecture and homeostasis. Advances in nanotechnology are catalyzing key breakthroughs in many areas, including the analysis and study of proteins at the single-molecule level. Nanopore sensing is at the forefront of this revolution. This tutorial review, published on October 17, 2018, provides readers a guidebook and reference for detecting and characterizing proteins at the single-molecule level using nanopores. Specifically, the review describes the key materials, nanoscale features, and design requirements of nanopores. It also discusses general design requirements as well as details on the analysis of protein translocation. Finally, the article provides the background necessary to understand current research trends and to encourage the identification of new biomedical applications for protein sensing using nanopores.