Single-molecule binding assay using nanopores and dimeric NP conjugates

The ability to measure biomarkers, both specifically and selectively at the single-molecule level in biological fluids, has the potential to transform the diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutic intervention of diseases. The use of nanopores has been gaining prominence in this area, not only for sequencing but more recently in screening applications. The selectivity of nanopore sensing can be substantially improved with the use of tags, but substantial challenges remain, especially when trying to differentiate between bound from unbound targets. Here we design highly sensitive and selective molecular probes made from NPs designed specifically for nanopores that self-assemble and dimerise upon binding to a biological target. We show that both single and paired NPs can be successfully resolved while improving the time and sensitivity of the biomarker detection. Nanopore sensing with NP conjugates can be used for applications such as antigen/antibody detection for sepsis screening and miRNA sequence analysis relevant to prostate cancer. We believe that such technology opens the doors to developing a highly sensitive and selective strategy for diagnosis and screening of diseases without the need for sample processing or amplification while requiring minimal sample volume