A biological porin engineered into a molecular, nanofluidic diode.
We changed the nonrectifying biological porin OmpF into a nanofluidic diode. To that end, we engineered a pore that possesses two spatially separated selectivity filters of opposite charge where either cations or anions accumulate. The observed current inhibition under applied reverse bias voltage reflects, we believe, the creation of a zone depleted of charge carriers, in a sense very similar to what happens at the np junction of a semiconductor device.
Miedema
Henk
H
Department of Molecular Biophysics and Physiology, Rush University Medical Center, 1750 West Harrison Street, Suite 1291, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. miedema@biomade.nl
Vrouenraets
Maarten
M
Wierenga
Jenny
J
Meijberg
Wim
W
Robillard
George
G
Eisenberg
Bob
B
D001685:Biological Factors / Q000737:chemistry*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018272:Porins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012666:Semiconductors
D001685:Biological Factors; C109237:OmpF protein; D018272:Porins