Short description
Researchers led by Associate Professor Yang Xu from Osaka Metropolitan University have created a “nanofluidic device” capable of regulating the flow of individual molecules in a solution using externally applied pressure. The team fabricated a nanofluidic device with a flexible glass sheet at the top and a solid glass plate with fine structures at the bottom. By applying external pressure, the team could control flow of molecules in solution through the device. The technology could have wide-ranging applications, from creating personalised medicines for rare diseases through to developing more advanced displays and batteries.
Japanese scientists have created a nanovalve capable of working with individual molecules
A joint research team led by Associate Professor Yang Xu from the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University
succeeded
in regulating the flow of individual molecules in solution by opening and closing a nanovalve in a nanofluidic device with externally applied pressure.
Scientists have long tried to use molecules as building blocks to construct things, similar to how we build things from mechanical parts. However, molecules are incredibly small and they move randomly in liquids, which makes the task of manipulating individual molecules extremely difficult. To solve it, scientists are developing “nanofluidic devices” that can transfer molecules through extremely narrow channels.
The research team fabricated a nanofluidic device with a thin, flexible glass sheet at the top and a solid glass plate with fine structures forming nanochannels and spaces for nanovalves at the bottom. By applying external pressure to the flexible glass sheet to open and close the valve, the team was able to directly control the flow of individual molecules in the solution. The scientists also discovered that when individual fluorescent molecules were trapped in the nanospace inside the valve, the fluorescence of individual molecules became brighter.
This happened because the small space made it harder for individual molecules to move randomly. Professor Xu said, “This fluorescent signal amplification effect can help detect very small amounts of pathogens for early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease without requiring expensive equipment.”
The results of this study could be a significant step towards the arbitrary assembly of materials using individual solution molecules as building blocks. The technology could potentially be useful in a variety of fields, such as the development of personalized medicines to treat rare diseases and the creation of more advanced displays and batteries.
The concept of “single-molecule chemistry” considers molecules as building blocks, and all processes related to chemical and biochemical reactions in solution are carried out on the basis of a single molecule. “The single-molecule valve is the first step towards achieving this goal, which may one day revolutionize chemistry, biology and materials science, as well as transform various industries,” said Professor Xu.
