Detection of streptavidin-labeled DNA using solid-state nanopores for target sequence detection

In recent years, the demand for rapid and on-site target gene detection has been increasing. For example, it is important for covering the increasing GMO (Genetically-modified-organisms) testings, and for preventing the spread of infectious diseases at an early stage. The conventional techniques for target DNA sequence detection are based on PCR and qPCR. Although these techniques are widespread, they are time-consuming and will not be able to cover all required testings. By comparison, solid-state nanopores have a potential to provide a rapid and portable testing device that is electronic and does not need optics. For realizing target sequence detection with solid-state nanopores, it is a promising approach to label the target sequence with a large molecule and enlarge a current-blockade value when DNA including the target sequence passed through a nanopore. In this study, the possibility of streptavidin (SA) as a labelled molecule was investigated. As a result, we found that the passages of SA-labelled and non-labelled DNA through a nanopore can be clearly distinguished.