Fabrication of smart nanopore-based device together with the sensitive collection and accurate analysis of current signals is regarded

as a key issue in nanopore-based analysis and DNA sequencing. Generally speaking, natural pores at nanometer scale (such as alpha-hemolysin) #BAY 11-7082 order randurls[1|1|,|CHEM1|]# in biomembranes and artificial pores at nanometer scale in solid films are two major types of nanopores used in DNA sequencing and biomolecule sensing. In this area, Bayley and Cremer [6], and Bayley and Jayasinghe [7] have performed fundamental studies on alpha-hemolysin. On the basis of these pioneer efforts, other excellent research work on protein-based nanopore has been carried out [8, 9]. In recent years, the developments of artificial nanopores have become faster and faster with the rapid developments of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Novel fabricating methods, such as ion beams and electron beams [10–12], have been gradually used to manufacture artificial nanopore in thin solid materials (including silicon nitride [13–17], graphene [18–21], and silicon oxide [22, 23])

for sequencing or bio-analysis usage. These progresses are of great importance for nanopore-based sensing devices because GW3965 research buy of their great potentials in combination with developed MEMS technology. In addition, the group of Harrell et al. and other groups have utilized track etching method to prepare conically-shaped single nanopore in polymer membranes (such as polycarbonate, poly(ethylene terephthalate), polypropylene, poly-(vinylidene fluoride), and polyimide), which provides other possible choice for nanopore-based sensing device [24–27]. In this work, novel sensing devices were fabricated on

the basis of nanopore arrays in polycarbonate (PC) membranes and micropores in Si-Si3N4 films, and related translocation properties of single molecule were investigated using these devices. Methods Experimental device and reagent PC membranes containing nanopore (pore diameter 50 nm, pore density six N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase pores per μm2, membrane thickness 6 to 11 μm) arrays were purchased from Whatman, Inc. (Shanghai, China), and hydrophilic treatments were carried out before usage. Ultrapure water (18.25 MΩ · cm) was used for the preparation and rinsing. Goat antibody to human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and λ-DNA (48 kB, 310 ng/mL) obtained from Nanjing Boquan Technology Co., Ltd. (Jiangsu, China) were used as analytes in the experiments. Potassium chloride (KCl) was commercially available and at analytical grade. A test device containing separated liquid cells linked by nanopore chip (sealed by PDMS) was integrated to measure the ionic current. At room temperature (25°C ± 2°C), KCl solution (pH = 7.48) was added to both feed cell and permeation cell, and the analytes were dissolved in the reservoir.