Hybrid pore formation by directed insertion of α-haemolysin into solid-state nanopores
- 28 November 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Nature Nanotechnology
- Vol. 5 (12), 874-877
- https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2010.237
Abstract
Most experiments on nanopores have concentrated on the pore-forming protein α-haemolysin (αHL)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: αHL 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 αHL 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.Keywords
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