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2007 AIP Industrial Physics Forum abstracts

Nanopores & Systems Biology

J.J. Kasianowicz
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Final presentation

Proteins that form nanometer-scale pores in cell membranes are the basis of many biological processes including nerve activity and cell-cell communication. Research over the past two decades demonstrated that they could also be used for the selective detection and characterization of molecules (e.g., proteins, anthrax toxins, and DNA). More recently, a single nanopore was used as the transducer for a novel aqueous-based mass spectrometry technique. The ability to detect and discriminate between molecules with nanopores should provide useful analytical systems for health care applications.