Nanopore protein analysis

Of approximately 100,000 proteins commonly found in mammalian tissue, fewer than 5% have a reliable and affordable assay available.  The development of reliable methods for analysing proteins is currently slow and complex.  When identifying and verifying a new assay for a protein, mass spectrometry is likely to be the dominant technology. When progressing research into a protein to determine whether it is a useful biomarker for disease or has other interesting functions, the researcher is likely to develop an immunoassay - again a long and complex process.  In addition, many researchers use gene expression as a surrogate for protein analysis. A direct electrical method of protein analysis can provide benefits for researchers: costs are dependent on silicon scalability, workflow is likely to be simplified, and the information obtained through nanopore sensing is rich.

Oxford Nanopore is developing techniques for the direct, electronic analysis of proteins by combining nanopores with ligands. A ligand is a molecule that can bind specifically to a site on a target protein. When used in the Oxford Nanopore technology platform, a bound ligand-protein complex creates a characteristic disruption of the current running through a nanopore. It is desirable that this binding event should be reversible; the duration of a binding event provides further evidence of protein identity and the frequency of binding event provides information about concentration of that analyte.
 

This protein analysis technique is compatible with the Oxford Nanopore GridION system.