"Single-molecule biophysics with a protein nanopore"

Advances in rational protein design and single-molecule technology allow for biochemical sampling at high temporal and spatial resolution and for the detection, manipulation, and exploration of individual molecules. We have developed a methodology for examining single biopolymer dynamics within a protein nanopore, a simple system that is highly pertinent to several more complex biological processes such as the translocation of nucleic acids and polypeptides through transmembrane pores. The ionic current through a single protein nanopore was determined by single-channel electrical recordings in lipid bilayers. The results revealed unprecedented details of biopolymer behavior at single-molecule resolution. These examples demonstrate an unusual control of single biomolecules and pore-based nanostructures by using simple principles learned from physics and modern biology.