Hybrid Pore formation by directed insertion of a-haemolysin into solid-state nanopores

AR Hall, A Scott, D Rotem, K Mehta, H Bayley, C Dekker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

214 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Most experiments on nanopores have concentrated on the pore-forming protein ¿-haemolysin (¿HL)1 and on artificial pores in solid-state membranes2. While biological pores offer an atomically precise structure3 and the potential for genetic engineering4, solid-state nanopores offer durability, size and shape control5, and are also better suited for integration into wafer-scale devices. However, each system has significant limitations: ¿HL is difficult to integrate because it relies on delicate lipid bilayers for mechanical support, and the fabrication of solid-state nanopores with precise dimensions remains challenging. Here we show that these limitations may be overcome by inserting a single ¿HL pore into a solid-state nanopore. A double-stranded DNA attached to the protein pore is threaded into a solid-state nanopore by electrophoretic translocation. Protein insertion is observed in 30¿40% of our attempts, and translocation of single-stranded DNA demonstrates that the hybrid nanopore remains functional. The hybrid structure offers a platform to create wafer-scale device arrays for genomic analysis, including sequencing6.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)874-877
Number of pages4
JournalNature Nanotechnology
Volume5
Publication statusPublished - 2010

Keywords

  • academic journal papers
  • CWTS JFIS >= 2.00

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