Plasmonic nanopores for trapping, controlled motion and sequencing of DNA

描述（由申请人提供）：该研究项目旨在联合收割机两个令人兴奋的，快速发展的领域，等离子体和纳米孔的独特和强大的能力，用于单个DNA分子的分析。更具体地说，纳米等离子体的最新进展将被用来实现无标记的单分子捕获和使用纳米孔的DNA测序。将开发一种新型的合成纳米结构，以将光强烈聚焦到纳米尺寸的斑点中，在那里产生固态纳米孔。通过该点，DNA分子将以受控的方式移位，从而允许检测顺序暴露于等离子体热点的强光场的DNA片段的序列。该计划的独特之处在于使用等离子体镊子来控制固态纳米孔中的DNA。这种将DNA推进通过纳米孔的新方法同时使得能够通过表面增强拉曼光谱进行DNA序列检测。因为局部限制的等离子体激元场增强了多个数量级的拉曼散射，并且因为拉曼光谱与底层分子结构的直接关系，所以序列检测将是可能的，而无需任何标记。该项目的团队是生物分子建模（UIUC），纳米孔实验（TU德尔夫特）和等离子体传感（TU德尔夫特）专家的协同组合。这些项目的具体目标是：（i）使用等离子体场将DNA捕获在固态纳米孔中，（ii）开发一种以离散的、最终是单核苷酸步骤通过等离子体纳米孔运输DNA的方法，以及（iii）通过拉曼光谱检测捕获和移动的DNA分子的核苷酸序列。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research project aims to combine the unique and powerful capabilities of two exciting, rapidly evolving fields, plasmonics and nanopores, for the analysis of single DNA molecules. More specifically, recent advances in nanoplasmonics will be utilized to enable label-free, single-molecule trapping and sequencing of DNA using nanopores. A novel type of synthetic nanostructure will be developed to strongly focus light to very high intensity in a nanometer-dimension spot where a solid-state nanopore is created. Through that spot, a DNA molecule will be translocated in a controlled way, allowing the detection of the sequence of the DNA fragments that are sequentially exposed to the intense optical fields of the plasmonic hot spot. The unique aspect of the program is the use of plasmonic tweezers to control DNA in solid-state nanopores. This novel approach to advancing DNA through the nanopore simultaneously enables DNA sequence detection through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Because locally confined plasmonic fields enhance Raman scattering many orders of magnitude and because of the direct relationship of Raman spectra to the underlying molecular structure, sequence detection will be possible directly, without any labeling. The project's team is a synergetic combination of experts in biomolecular modeling (UIUC), nanopore experiments (TU Delft) and plasmonic sensing (TU Delft). The specific aims of the projects are to (i) use a plasmonic field to trap DNA in solid-state nanopores, (ii) develop a method to transport DNA through plasmonic nanopores in discrete, ultimately single-nucleotide steps, and (iii) detect the nucleotide sequence of trapped and moving DNA molecules by means of Raman spectroscopy.