Real-time sensing of neurotransmitters by functionalized nanopores embedded in a single live cell.

Interface between neuron cells and biomaterials is the key to real-time sensing, transmitting and manipulating of neuron activities, which are the long-term pursue of scientists and gain intense research focus recently. It is of great interest to develop a sensor with exquisite sensitivity and excellent selectivity for real-time monitoring neurotransmitters transport through single live cell. Sensing techniques including electrode-based methods, optogenetics, and nanowire cell penetration systems have been developed to monitor the neuron activities.

The structure and unzipping behavior of dumbbell and hairpin DNA revealed by real-time nanopore sensing.

Hairpin structures play an essential role in DNA replication, transcription, and recombination. Single-molecule studies enable the real-time measurement and observation of the energetics and dynamics of hairpin structures, including folding and DNA-protein interactions. Nanopore sensing is emerging as a powerful tool for DNA sensing and sequencing, and previous research into hairpins using an α-hemolysin (α-HL) nanopore suggested that hairpin DNA enters from its stem side.

Ultrasensitive Nanopore Sensing of Mucin 1 and Circulating Tumor Cells in Whole Blood of Breast Cancer Patients by Analyte-Triggered Triplex-DNA Release.

The characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by liquid biopsy has a great potential for precision medicine in oncology. Here, a universal and tandem logic-based strategy is developed by combining multiple nanomaterials and nanopore sensing for the determination of mucin 1 protein (MUC1) and breast cancer CTCs in real samples. The strategy consists of analyte-triggered signal conversion, cascaded amplification via nanomaterials including copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS NPs), silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), and biomaterials including DNA hydrogel and DNAzyme, and single-molecule-level detection by nanopore sensing.

Development of a fluorescent DNA nanomachine for ultrasensitive detection of Salmonella enteritidis without labeling and enzymes.

A capture probe complex containing a specific Salmonella enteritidis (S. enteritidis) aptamer and partly hybridized signal trigger sequence was designed with the ability to directly detect viable S. enteritidis.

Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer Patients by Nanopore Sensing with Aptamer-Mediated Amplification.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been utilized in the diagnosis and prognosis of tumor. However, the CTC concentration is extremely low to be detected in peripheral blood. Many existing methods suffer from either expensive labeling or complex operation.

Active DNA unwinding and transport by a membrane-adapted helicase nanopore.

Nanoscale transport through nanopores and live-cell membranes plays a vital role in both key biological processes as well as biosensing and DNA sequencing. Active translocation of DNA through these nanopores usually needs enzyme assistance. Here we present a nanopore derived from truncated helicase E1 of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) with a lumen diameter of c.