Elucidating and Manipulating Polymer Transport through Nanopores

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Nanopores are molecular-sized holes in thin membranes that have the ability to detect individual molecules. In operation, one of these thin membranes separates two reservoirs containing salt water, and the pore is the only path from one reservoir to the other. When a voltage is applied across the membrane it drives the salt ions through the pore, which we read as a current. If a charged molecule is in the reservoir, it too can be pulled through the pore and in so doing, it blocks the ions which we see as a corresponding drop in current. From this drop in current we can obtain information about the identity (size, shape, charge) of these charged molecules. This purely electrical approach for single molecule detection exhibits great promise for a number of practical applications. Nanopores are poised to revolutionize many fields. Already, organic pores are being used in a commercial device capable of sequencing DNA and solid-state pores have demonstrated their versatility in several proof-of-concept articles with implications for next-gen diagnostics. Beyond the medical field, we expect that nanopores also represent a paradigm shift in digital information storage. By using DNA-like polymers to store information and using nanopores to read off the digital signals, large data warehouses could dramatically reduce their carbon footprint. These types of technologies are ideally suited for nanopores, and consequently nanopores are taking center stage as a versatile tool for new bio-nanotechnologies. However, fundamental questions and challenges remain before solid-state nanopores can deliver on their promise. Before these disruptive technologies can be realized, the field requires a deeper understanding of how molecules are captured and transported through nanopores. This will allow us to more precisely manipulate molecules and extract greater meaning from their current signatures. To this end, my research program is focused on the long-term objective of experimentally elucidating the effects of external driving fields, polymer dynamics, molecule-pore interactions, and the impact of pore structure on nanopore transport characteristics, so we can apply this knowledge to the development of new tools and methods. The new knowledge generated over the course of this 5-year program could potentially secure a global competitive edge for Canada's high-tech industries in the development of numerous solid-state nanopore applications in the Life Sciences, Medicine, and Digital Data Storage fields. In addition, this program will offer valuable multidisciplinary training to highly qualified personnel (HQP) in a range of cutting-edge single-molecule and nanoscience techniques. These skills would position HQP to meet the demands of our growing high-tech industry, thereby strengthening Canada's knowledge-based economy and ensuring maximum return from its research investments.