Oxford Nanopore Technologies is developing a platform technology for the analysis of single molecules.
The technology is modular; our proprietary, arrayed, planar bilayer chip and reader system can be combined with different protein nanopores for the detection of a variety of analytes.
The bilayer chip contains multiple microwells, each an individually addressable electronic channel. This central aspect of our technology platform allows us to record a large number of nanopore measurements in parallel, therefore allowing for high-throughput, low cost molecular analysis.
The versatile chip is combined with a modular nanopore biosensor and a universal low cost instrument.
- For exonuclease DNA sequencing, a protein nanopore is combined with a processive enzyme. DNA bases are cleaved from the end of the DNA strand and identified as they pass through the nanopore.
- For strand sequencing, an intact single stranded DNA molecule passes through the nanopore, the speed controlled by an accompanying enzyme.
- For protein detection a nanopore may be combined with a ligand for specific protein analysis.
For more information please see
Applications.
Future generations of 'solid-state' nanopores will replace the bilayer
chip/protein nanopore with a system fabricated from synthetic materials.
