Monitoring charge flux to quantify unusual ligand-induced ion channel activity for use in biological nanopore-based sensors.

ABSTRACT: The utility of biological nanopores for the development of sensors has become a growing area of interest in analytical chemistry. Their emerging use in chemical analysis is a result of several ideal characteristics. First, they provide reproducible control over nanoscale pore sizes with an atomic level of precision. Second, they are amenable to resistive-pulse type measurement systems when embedded into an artificial lipid bilayer. A single binding event causes a change in the flow of millions of ions across the membrane per second that is readily measured as a change in current with excellent signal-to-noise ratio. To date, ion channel-based biosensors have been limited to well-behaved proteins. Most demonstrations of using ion channels as sensors have been limited to proteins that remain

SUBMITTER: Macazo FC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4051251 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature