Single-molecule Sensing with Nanopores

Single-molecule Sensing with Nanopores
Murugappan Muthukumar, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date and time: Wed, Mar 30, 2016 - 4:00pm
Refreshments at 3:45pm
Location: ILC S131 - Refreshments in Hasbrouck lobby
Category: Departmental Colloquium
Abstract:
Snaking of charged macromolecules through narrow spaces is a ubiquitous phenomenon in life processes, ranging from birth of an organism to various exhibits of the central dogma of biology. In efforts to unravel the mysteries of this complex in vivo phenomenon, many in vitro experiments have been conducted worldwide on the sensing and motility of single molecules through synthetic and biological nanopores. Also, societal need to sequence DNA rapidly and inexpensively has propelled efforts to controllably navigate single molecules into nanopores and to read their sequences as they translocate through nanopores. An adequate description of electrostatics, hydrodynamics, polymer statistics, and confinement effects from charge-decorated pores is required to understand the experimental data from these experiments. Using a combination of general concepts of polymer physics and clever designs of nanopores, much progress has been made in the fundamental understanding of macromolecular encounter with nanopores and DNA sequencing technology. The current status of the field will be reviewed, with few examples of opportunities in the emerging new biophysics playground that can be accessed with nanopore experiments.
Reference: M. Muthukumar, C. Plesa, and C. Dekker, Physics Today, Page 40, August 2015.