Plasmonic nanopores for trapping, controlled motion and sequencing of DNA

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究项目旨在结合等离子体和纳米孔这两个令人兴奋、快速发展的领域的独特而强大的能力，用于分析单个DNA分子。更具体地说，纳米等离子体学的最新进展将用于利用纳米孔实现无标记、单分子捕获和DNA测序。一种新型的合成纳米结构将被开发出来，它可以将光强烈聚焦到非常高的强度，在纳米尺度的点上形成固态纳米孔。通过这个点，DNA分子将以一种可控的方式易位，从而可以检测DNA片段的序列，这些片段依次暴露在等离子体热点的强光场中。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。这种通过纳米孔推进DNA的新方法同时可以通过表面增强拉曼光谱进行DNA序列检测。由于局部受限的等离子体场将拉曼散射增强了许多数量级，并且由于拉曼光谱与潜在的分子结构直接相关，因此可以直接进行序列检测，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（代尔夫特理工大学）和等离子体传感（代尔夫特理工大学）专家的协同组合。该项目的具体目标是：(i)使用等离子体场将DNA捕获在固态纳米孔中，（ii）开发一种方法，以离散的、最终的单核苷酸步骤通过等离子体纳米孔运输DNA，以及（iii）通过拉曼光谱检测被捕获和移动的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.