Nanopore Technology: When Proteins Analyse Proteins

Nanopore sensing is an emerging technology that can distinguish subtle differences in molecules and allows the observation of molecular processes. The technique has revolutionized DNA sequencing through long reads of single molecules. Following this success, nanopores are now increasingly applied to protein analysis. Proteins play central roles in cellular function and major diseases, however their analysis using established methods is complicated by the lack of protein-amplification methods. Here, two examples of nanopore-based protein analysis are described: the identification of biomarkers, and the analysis of protein function.