Creation of a transient vapor nanogap between two fluidic reservoirs for single molecule manipulation

Abstract

We introduce a new experimental technique for manipulating a segment of a charged macromolecule inside a transient nanogap between two fluidic reservoirs. This technique uses an FPGA-driven nanopositioner to control the coupling of a nanopipette with the liquid surface of a fluidic cell. We present results on creating a transient nanogap, triggered by a translocation of double-stranded DNA between a nanopipette and a fluidic cell, and measure the probability to find the molecule near the tip of the nanopipette after closing the gap. The developed platform will enable testing of our recent theoretical predictions for the behavior of charged macromolecule in a nanogap between two fluidic reservoirs.

Probing the size of proteins with glass nanopores

“…[26][27][28] Moreover, they can be easily combined with optical tweezers and segmented flow microfluidics which opens novel avenues to measure forces and develop new lab-on-the-chip applications. [29][30][31][32][33][34] In the beginning, classical solid-state nanopores and glass nanocapillaries were used to detect DNA. 24 Yet, protein sensing is equally interesting because the market of proteomics which includes techniques like mass spectrometry and 2D gel electrophoresis for weight determination, is growing.…”