Lifetime of glass nanopores in a PDMS chip for single-molecule sensing

Lifetime of glass nanopores in a PDMS chip for single-molecule sensing

Mohammed F. Alawami, Filip Bošković, Jinbo Zhu, Kaikai Chen, Sarah E. Sandler, Ulrich F. Keyser

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.104191

Nanopore sensing is a cutting-edge technology with numerous biosensing applications, including DNA sequencing with biological pores and biomolecular analysis with solid-state pores. Solid-state nanopores are preferred for their stability, but interactions between biomolecules and the nanopore surface can compromise stability and increase costs. This study explored the biosensing capabilities of 102 quartz glass nanopores, with diameters ranging from 11 to 18 nm, fabricated through laser-assisted capillary pulling. These nanopores were integrated into microfluidic chips and reused for up to 19 weeks. Results showed that vacuum storage combined with minimal washing significantly extended the nanopores’ usability. The single-molecule biosensing capability was confirmed through the quantitative analysis of a DNA carrier designed to detect short single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides over multiple use cycles.