A novel type of sensor, based on nanometer-scale pores in a semiconductor membrane, is a step closer to practical use in applications such as analyzing the protein contents of a single cell. Researchers pioneering single-molecule nanopore sensor technology at the Technische Universität München (TUM) have shown its potential through a succession of experiments over the past few years. Now, in collaboration with biochemists at Goethe University Frankfurt, they have been able to advance this effort past what had been a sticking point: enhancing the selectivity of the sensor while maintaining its sensitivity to single molecules. They report the latest results in Nature Nanotechnology.
