Single protein molecule detection by glass nanopores.

Nanopores can be used to detect and analyze single molecules in solution. We have used glass nanopores made by laser-assisted capillary-pulling, as a high-throughput and low cost method, to detect a range of label-free proteins: lysozyme, avidin, IgG, β-lactoglobulin, ovalbumin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and β-galactosidase in solution. Furthermore, we show for the first time solid state nanopore measurements of mammalian prion protein, which in its abnormal form is associated with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Our approach provides a basis for protein characterization and the study of protein conformational diseases by nanopore detection.