DNA-functionalized nanopores for single molecule analysis

The use of biological "nanopores" as sensors for single molecules like DNA was recently demonstrated: the passage of the molecules through the pore separating two electrolyte-filled reservoirs is induced by a voltage application and detected as a current drop. Present attention is devoted to solid state nanopores, with obvious advantages, such as high stability, control of diameter, adjustable surface properties and the potential for integration into complex devices. We present results on DNA-functionalized solid state nanopore devices produced by using a Focused Ion Beam, to obtain an high throughput platform for gene expression profiling, that is for the rapid molecular diagnosis of tumours and other genetic diseases. © 2009 IEEE.