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Nanopore
A nanopore is a pore of nanometer size. It may, for example, be created by a pore-forming protein or as a hole in synthetic materials such as silicon or graphene. When a nanopore is present in an electrically insulating artificial membrane, membrane, it can be used as a single-molecule detector. It can be a biological protein channel in a high electrical resistance lipid bilayer, a pore in a solid-state membrane or a hybrid of these – a protein channel set in a synthetic membrane. The detection principle is based on monitoring the ionic current passing through the nanopore as a voltage is applied across the membrane. When the nanopore is of molecular dimensions, passage of molecules (e.g., DNA) cause interruptions of the "open" current level, leading to a "translocation event" signal. The passage of RNA or single-stranded DNA molecules through the membrane-embedded alpha-hemolysin channel (1.5 nm diameter), for example, causes a ~90% blockage of the current (measured at 1 M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc is a UK-based company which develops and sells nanopore sequencing products (including the portable DNA sequencer, MinION) for the direct, electronic analysis of Single-molecule experiment, single molecules. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History The company was founded in 2005 as a Corporate spin-off, spin-out from the University of Oxford by Hagan Bayley, Gordon Sanghera, and Spike Willcocks, with seed money, seed funding from the IP Group. The company made an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange on 30 September 2021, under the ticker ONT. In March 2016 the company announced a chemistry upgrade to its nanopore sequencing product 'R9', using a protein nanopore in collaboration with the laboratory of Han Remaut (VIB/Vrije Universiteit Brussel). The company stated in a webcast that R9 is designed to improve error rates and yield. In July 2016, a MinION nanopore sequencer was i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nanopore Sequencing
Nanopore sequencing is a third generation approach used in the sequencing of biopolymers — specifically, polynucleotides in the form of DNA or RNA. Nanopore sequencing allows a single molecule of DNA or RNA be sequenced without PCR amplification or chemical labeling. Nanopore sequencing has the potential to offer relatively low-cost genotyping, high mobility for testing, and rapid processing of samples, including the ability to display real-time results. It has been proposed for rapid identification of viral pathogens, monitoring ebola, environmental monitoring, food safety monitoring, human genome sequencing, plant genome sequencing, monitoring of antibiotic resistance, haplotyping and other applications. Development Nanopore sequencing took 25 years to materialize. David Deamer was one of the first to push the idea. In 1989 he sketched out a plan to push single-strands of DNA through a protein nanopore embedded into a thin membrane as part his work to synthesize RNA ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nanofluidics
Nanofluidics is the study of the behavior, manipulation, and control of fluids that are confined to structures of nanometer (typically 1–100 nm) characteristic dimensions (1 nm = 10−9 m). Fluids confined in these structures exhibit physical behaviors not observed in larger structures, such as those of micrometer dimensions and above, because the characteristic physical scaling lengths of the fluid, (''e.g.'' Debye length, hydrodynamic radius) very closely coincide with the dimensions of the nanostructure itself. When structures approach the size regime corresponding to molecular scaling lengths, new physical constraints are placed on the behavior of the fluid. For example, these physical constraints induce regions of the fluid to exhibit new properties not observed in bulk, ''e.g.'' vastly increased viscosity near the pore wall; they may effect changes in thermodynamic properties and may also alter the chemical reactivity of species at the fluid-solid interfa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aerolysin
In molecular biology, aerolysin is a cytolytic pore-forming toxin exported by ''Aeromonas hydrophila'', a Gram-negative bacterium associated with diarrhoeal diseases and deep wound infections. It is also produced by the caterpillar of the moth Megalopyge opercularis, sometimes called the Tree Asp. The mature toxin binds to eukaryotic cells and aggregates to form holes (approximately 3 nm in diameter) leading to the destruction of the membrane permeability barrier and osmotic lysis. The structure A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ... of proaerolysin has been determined to 2.8A resolution and shows the protoxin to adopt a novel fold. High-resolution cryo-EM atomic models of aerolysin in membrane-like environment (lipid copolymer Nanodiscs) as well as some prepore-like mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Izon Science
Izon Science Limited is a nanotechnology company that develops and sells nano-scale particle analysis and isolation tools. Their main instruments are based on principles of size exclusion chromatography and tunable resistive pulse sensing. Izon’s size-exclusion chromatography columns and related solutions are also used by diagnostics companies focused on developing extracellular vesicle biomarkers. Izon Science’s headquarters is located in Addington (Christchurch, New Zealand), where all instruments are manufactured. Background/History Izon Science Limited is a company incorporated as Australo Ltd. on January 10, 2005, by four New Zealand-based scientists. In 2007, Hans van der Voorn became CEO, and on November 17, 2008, the company was renamed Izon Science Limited. Initially focused on developing tunable resistive pulse sensing instruments for nanoparticle characterization, the company later expanded into developing tools for isolating exosomes and other extracellular v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ion-beam Sculpting
Ion-Beam sculpting is a two-step process to make solid-state nanopores. The term itself was coined by Golovchenko and co-workers at Harvard in the paper "Ion-beam sculpting at nanometer length scales." In the process, solid-state nanopores are formed by lateral mass transport about the surface of the substrate, not simply by sputtering, which is the removal of material from the surface. Basis The first step in ion sculpting is to make either a through hole or a blind hole (not penetrating completely), most commonly using a focused ion beam (FIB). The holes are commonly about 100 nm in diameter, but can be made much smaller. This step may or may not be done at room temperature, with a low temperature of -120 C. Next, three common techniques can be used to 'sculpt' the hole: broad area ion exposure, TEM exposure, and FIB exposure. Holes can be closed completely, or left open at a lower limit of 1 - 10 nm. Broad area ion exposure This technique uses a broad area argon ion ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nanometre
330px, Different lengths as in respect to the Molecule">molecular scale. The nanometre (international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: nm), or nanometer (American spelling), is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one billionth ( short scale) or one thousand million (long scale) of a meter (0.000000001 m) and to 1000 picometres. One nanometre can be expressed in scientific notation as 1 × 10−9 m and as m. History The nanometre was formerly known as the "''millimicrometre''" – or, more commonly, the "''millimicron''" for short – since it is of a micrometer. It was often denoted by the symbol ''mμ'' or, more rarely, as ''μμ'' (however, ''μμ'' should refer to a ''millionth'' of a micron). Etymology The name combines the SI prefix '' nano-'' (from the Ancient Greek , ', "dwarf") with the parent unit name ''metre'' (from Greek , ', "unit of measurement"). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hemolysin
Hemolysins or haemolysins are lipids and proteins that cause lysis of red blood cells by disrupting the cell membrane. Although the lytic activity of some microbe-derived hemolysins on red blood cells may be of great importance for nutrient acquisition, many hemolysins produced by pathogens do not cause significant destruction of red blood cells during infection. However, hemolysins are often capable of lysing red blood cells ''in vitro''. While most hemolysins are protein compounds, some are lipid biosurfactants. Properties Many bacteria produce hemolysins that can be detected in the laboratory. It is now believed that many clinically relevant fungi also produce hemolysins. Hemolysins can be identified by their ability to lyse red blood cells ''in vitro''. Not only are the erythrocytes affected by hemolysins, but there are also some effects among other blood cells, such as leucocytes (white blood cells). ''Escherichia coli'' hemolysin is potentially cytotoxic to monocytes, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coulomb Blockade
In mesoscopic physics, a Coulomb blockade (CB), named after Charles-Augustin de Coulomb's electrical force, is the decrease in electrical conductance at small bias voltages of a small electronic device comprising at least one low-capacitance tunnel junction. Because of the CB, the conductance of a device may not be constant at low bias voltages, but disappear for biases under a certain threshold, i.e. no current flows. Coulomb blockade can be observed by making a device very small, like a quantum dot. When the device is small enough, electrons inside the device will create a strong Coulomb repulsion preventing other electrons to flow. Thus, the device will no longer follow Ohm's law and the current-voltage relation of the Coulomb blockade looks like a staircase. Even though the Coulomb blockade can be used to demonstrate the quantization of the electric charge, it remains a classical effect and its main description does not require quantum mechanics. However, when few ele ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atomic Force Microscopy
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) or scanning force microscopy (SFM) is a very-high-resolution type of scanning probe microscopy (SPM), with demonstrated resolution on the order of fractions of a nanometer, more than 1000 times better than the optical diffraction limit. Overview Atomic force microscopy (AFM) gathers information by "feeling" or "touching" the surface with a mechanical probe. Piezoelectric elements that facilitate tiny but accurate and precise movements on (electronic) command enable precise scanning. Despite the name, the Atomic Force Microscope does not use the nuclear force. Abilities and spatial resolution The AFM has three major abilities: force measurement, topographic imaging, and manipulation. In force measurement, AFMs can be used to measure the forces between the probe and the sample as a function of their mutual separation. This can be applied to perform force spectroscopy, to measure the mechanical properties of the sample, such as the sample's Youn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transmission Electron Microscopy
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a microscopy technique in which a beam of electrons is transmitted through a specimen to form an image. The specimen is most often an ultrathin section less than 100 nm thick or a suspension on a grid. An image is formed from the interaction of the electrons with the sample as the beam is transmitted through the specimen. The image is then magnified and focused onto an imaging device, such as a fluorescent screen, a layer of photographic film, or a detector such as a scintillator attached to a charge-coupled device or a direct electron detector. Transmission electron microscopes are capable of imaging at a significantly higher resolution than light microscopes, owing to the smaller de Broglie wavelength of electrons. This enables the instrument to capture fine detail—even as small as a single column of atoms, which is thousands of times smaller than a resolvable object seen in a light microscope. Transmission electron micr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scanning Electron Microscopy
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that produces images of a sample by scanning the surface with a focused beam of electrons. The electrons interact with atoms in the sample, producing various signals that contain information about the surface topography and composition. The electron beam is scanned in a raster scan pattern, and the position of the beam is combined with the Intensity (physics), intensity of the detected signal to produce an image. In the most common SEM mode, secondary electrons emitted by atoms excited by the electron beam are detected using a secondary electron detector (Everhart–Thornley detector). The number of secondary electrons that can be detected, and thus the signal intensity, depends, among other things, on specimen topography. Some SEMs can achieve resolutions better than 1 Nanometre, nanometer. Specimens are observed in high vacuum in a Convention (norm), conventional SEM, or in low vacuum or wet conditions in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
