25.02.2013 Views

Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensors

Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensors

Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensors

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

464 Chapter 7: Organic <strong>Nanotechnology</strong> <strong>Enabled</strong> <strong>Sensors</strong><br />

Crystallography has revealed that the structure of the α-hemolysin pore<br />

is about 100 Å-long, it is mushroom-shaped and is a homo-oligomeric heptamer,<br />

of which the pore has a limiting aperture of 1.5 nm. The transmembranal<br />

domain of the channel comprises a 14-strand β-barrel, which is<br />

primarily hydrophilic inside and hydrophobic outside.<br />

Such nanopores can be used for decoding and detecting DNA strands.<br />

Akeson et al practically showed that single molecules of DNA or RNA can<br />

be detected as they are driven through an α hemolysin pore by an applied<br />

electric field. 169 During the passage of the DNA and RNA strands, nucleotides<br />

within the polynucleotide must pass through the channel pore in a sequential,<br />

single-file order because of the limiting diameter of the pore. In<br />

order to prove the concept Akeson et al developed an apparatus for their<br />

experiment (Fig. 7.74). This apparatus is made of an inert materials such<br />

as Teflon with conical apertures. Bilayers formed across the aperture of this<br />

device exhibited high resistance (>200 GΩ), low noise (

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!