Single-molecule spectroscopy of amino acids and peptides by recognition tunnelling.

ABSTRACT: The human proteome has millions of protein variants due to alternative RNA splicing and post-translational modifications, and variants that are related to diseases are frequently present in minute concentrations. For DNA and RNA, low concentrations can be amplified using the polymerase chain reaction, but there is no such reaction for proteins. Therefore, the development of single-molecule protein sequencing is a critical step in the search for protein biomarkers. Here, we show that single amino acids can be identified by trapping the molecules between two electrodes that are coated with a layer of recognition molecules, then measuring the electron tunnelling current across the junction. A given molecule can bind in more than one way in the junction, and we therefore use a machine-learning

SUBMITTER: Zhao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4047173 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature