Applications of tunable resistive pulse sensing

Abstract

Tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) is an experimental technique that has been used to study and characterise colloidal particles ranging from approximately 50 nm in diameter up to the size of cells. The primary aim of this Review is to provide a guide to the characteristics and roles of TRPS in recent applied research. Relevant studies reflect both the maturation of the technique and the growing importance of submicron colloids in fields such as nanomedicine and biotechnology. TRPS analysis of extracellular vesicles is expanding particularly swiftly, while TRPS studies also extend to on-bead assays using DNA and aptamers, drug delivery particles, viruses and bacteria, food and beverages, and superparamagnetic beads. General protocols for TRPS measurement of particle size, concentration and charge have been developed, and a summary of TRPS technology and associated analysis techniques is included in this Review.

Enumeration of colloidal sub-micron particles using tunable resistive pulse sensing

“…Results are interpreted with reference to possible artefacts of each measurement technique. Although there have been similar comparisons previously [2], efforts have been made to improve the rigour and consistency of the comparison in the present work. Specifically, this is achieved by using one graph to compare data obtained using two pores of different sizes, DLS, and SEM, with a consistent data format.…”

“…Detailed introductions to TRPS measurement using the qNano instrument (Izon Science, Christchurch, New Zealand; Figure 2) are available elsewhere [2,8,12,17,18]. Briefly, each tunable pore is a ~200 µm long conical hole in a polyurethane membrane.…”

“…There is growing demand for techniques that can characterise colloidal particles for the purposes of analysis, quality assurance and regulatory compliance [1][2][3], in addition to fundamental research. The optimal technique(s) for any particular study is determined by factors such as the particle type, the research question and information required, the time, cost and ease of measurement, and the physical principles behind the technique [2].…”

“…This mechanical actuation results in 'tuning' of the pore size. Use of TRPS has been growing rapidly in a broad range of research fields [2].…”

Tunable Resistive Pulse Sensing: Potential Applications in Nanomedicine

“…Over the last few years TRPS has been used to study the interactions between nanoparticle-bound DNA and various biomolecules by detecting changes in the particle size or surface charge due to the binding of the biomolecules to the DNA or formation of aggregates [32].…”