Despite revolutionary advances in genomics and the study of gene expression, the majority of the encoded proteins have functions that are unknown. The next great challenge for biological research is to understand the function of all proteins; this is particularly important because most diseases are the result of protein dysfunction, and nearly all...

Many efforts have been made to control the speed with which molecules pass through a small orifice. This could be useful for new approaches to DNA sequencing, new sensors, and digital computing based on hybrid electronic/molecular transistors. Current designs, however, are complex and have important limitations, such as limited ability to control...

Nanopores are orifices of nanoscale diameter that connect two fluid reservoirs. At these dimensions, even a single molecule passing through the nanopore generates a detectable change in the flow of ionic current through the pore. As a result, nanopores can function as nanoscale Coulter counters, sensory devices that measure the effective change...