AVS 49th International Symposium
    Nanometer Structures Monday Sessions
       Session NS+BI-MoA

Paper NS+BI-MoA5
Nanostructures for Analysis of individual Biomolecules

Monday, November 4, 2002, 3:20 pm, Room C-207

Session: Nanobiology
Presenter: H.G. Craighead, Cornell University
Authors: H.G. Craighead, Cornell University
S.W. Turner, Cornell University
M. Foquet, Cornell University
J. Korlach, Cornell University
W. Zipfel, Cornell University
M. Levene, Cornell University
W.W. Webb, Cornell University
Correspondent: Click to Email
We have used nanofabrication methods to create fine-scale fluid channels and optical devices for nano-scale spatial confinement of optical excitation for use in the analysis of individual biomolecules. Functional fluid systems with dimensions down to ~35 nm have been etched and created by use of sacrificial layer techniques. Narrow fluid channels have been used for DNA fragment sizing by single molecule analysis and used for fluorescence correlation spectroscopy with improved signal-to-noise ratios. Related lithographic approaches have been used to create regions of optical excitation, confined in all 3 dimensions, using metallic nano-constrictions or "zero mode waveguides" in which electromagnetic waves are exponentially attenuated. These devices enable practical studies of dynamic biochemical processes at the single molecule level. An example of such a process is the observation of the activity of a single DNA polymerase molecule during the replication of a DNA molecule. We have been able to optically observe the incorporation of individual bases in the DNA replication process. With optically differentiated base types, this could lead to high speed sequencing of single DNA molecules. These approaches may allow highly parallel observation and analysis of biochemical activity at the single molecule level. This work has been supported by The National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation through the NBTC and the Department of Energy. Fabrication of devices was done at the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility.