Mechanical engineers find a way to increase the sensitivity of nanopores for early disease detection

SMU Lyle Mechanical Engineering graduate student Kamruzzaman Jyoti will introduce new techniques in nanotechnology to detect and analyze biomolecules, potentially paving the way for new methods for early disease detection.

The research, recently featured on the cover of Analytical Chemistry, integrates octahedral DNA origami structures with solid-state nanopores to significantly improve detection of proteins, especially those present at low concentrations.

“This research could pave the way for the development of advanced biosensing technologies, with potential applications in biomedical research and diagnostic tools, especially for diseases characterized by low concentrations of protein biomarkers. Yes,” Jyoti said.

Nanopores are tiny holes that can detect individual molecules that pass through them, making them ideal tools for analyzing biomolecules such as DNA and proteins. However, it has been difficult to detect proteins at very low concentrations, such as those found in the early stages of the disease.

Joty and his research team determined that by combining the precision of DNA origami with the robustness of solid-state nanopores, they could create a “hybrid nanopore” system that allows for more precise analysis. DNA origami is a method of folding DNA strands into specific shapes, such as octahedrons, to enhance the nanopore’s ability to capture and sense proteins.

In the study, the researchers used holohuman serum transferrin as a model protein and showed how hybrid nanopores can outperform traditional nanopores in sensitivity and detection accuracy.

Many diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, are characterized by proteins that are present in very small amounts, making early detection difficult. The ability of hybrid nanopores to sense these low-abundance proteins could lead to earlier diagnosis and better therapeutic outcomes.

“In the future, we will focus on improving the design of DNA origami structures and nanopore configurations to further increase sensitivity and broaden the range of detectable biomolecules,” Jyoti said. “This exciting research has the potential to lead to innovations in drug discovery, disease diagnosis and basic biological research.”