Plasmonic nanopores for trapping, controlled motion and sequencing of DNA

描述(申请人提供)：这项研究项目旨在结合两个令人兴奋的、快速发展的领域--等离子体和纳米孔--的独特和强大的能力，用于分析单个DNA分子。更具体地说，将利用纳米等离子体学的最新进展来实现无标记、单分子捕获和使用纳米孔对DNA进行测序。将开发一种新型的合成纳米结构，将光强聚焦到非常高的强度，在纳米尺度的斑点上产生固态纳米孔。通过该点，DNA分子将以受控的方式移位，从而能够检测顺序暴露在等离子体热点的强烈光场中的DNA片段的序列。该计划的独特之处在于使用等离子镊子来控制固态纳米孔中的DNA。这种同时通过纳米孔推进DNA的新方法使得通过表面增强拉曼光谱检测DNA序列成为可能。由于局部限制的等离子体场增强了拉曼散射许多数量级，并且由于拉曼光谱与潜在的分子结构的直接关系，因此可以直接进行序列检测，而不需要任何标记。该项目的团队是生物分子建模(UIUC)、纳米孔实验(TU Delft)和等离子体传感(TU Delft)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捕获到固态纳米孔中，(Ii)开发一种通过等离子体纳米孔以离散的最终单核苷酸步骤传输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.