Nanopores have been shown to be a useful analytical tool for single molecule detection. They have been used to study the composition of DNA and other molecules of interest. These pores are usually α-hemolysin which is a toxin from Staphylococcus aureus or more recently nanoscale synthetic solid state pores. Now we are beginning to look at other molecules or proteins by sending them into the nanopores and measuring a characteristic partial current blockade. In this thesis we look at polyethylene glycol (PEG) as it enters and blocks current through a single alpha hemolysin pore. We report the effects of ionic strength, PEG size, and applied voltage on the depth and duration of the current blockades. We also apply autocorrelation analysis on the arrival times of PEG molecules to the pore see if we can identify if the PEG is translocating through the pore or escaping from the same side it enters. This suggests a new approach to current blockade analysis.
","abstract_html":"<p>Nanopores have been shown to be a useful analytical tool for single molecule detection. They have been used to study the composition of DNA and other molecules of interest. These pores are usually α-hemolysin which is a toxin from Staphylococcus aureus or more recently nanoscale synthetic solid state pores. Now we are beginning to look at other molecules or proteins by sending them into the nanopores and measuring a characteristic partial current blockade. In this thesis we look at polyethylene glycol (PEG) as it enters and blocks current through a single alpha hemolysin pore. We report the effects of ionic strength, PEG size, and applied voltage on the depth and duration of the current blockades. We also apply autocorrelation analysis on the arrival times of PEG molecules to the pore see if we can identify if the PEG is translocating through the pore or escaping from the same side it enters. This suggests a new approach to current blockade analysis.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dancho, David M"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Physics and Applied Physics","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Joseph E Reiner"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:53:56Z","subjects":["α-Hemolysin","nanopore","Polyethylene Glycol","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","Physics"],"languages":[],"rights":["© The Author"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/483"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/483","href":"https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/483","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.25772/ZYP0-E752","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Joseph E Reiner"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dancho, David M"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-05-13T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Physics and Applied Physics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["α-Hemolysin","nanopore","Polyethylene Glycol","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","Physics"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© The Author"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.25772/ZYP0-E752","https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/483"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Nanopores have been shown to be a useful analytical tool for single molecule detection. They have been used to study the composition of DNA and other molecules of interest. These pores are usually α-hemolysin which is a toxin from Staphylococcus aureus or more recently nanoscale synthetic solid state pores. Now we are beginning to look at other molecules or proteins by sending them into the nanopores and measuring a characteristic partial current blockade. In this thesis we look at polyethylene glycol (PEG) as it enters and blocks current through a single alpha hemolysin pore. We report the effects of ionic strength, PEG size, and applied voltage on the depth and duration of the current blockades. We also apply autocorrelation analysis on the arrival times of PEG molecules to the pore see if we can identify if the PEG is translocating through the pore or escaping from the same side it enters. This suggests a new approach to current blockade analysis.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Analysis of Polyethylene Glycol in the α-Hemolysin Nanopore"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Joseph E Reiner"],"dc:creator":["Dancho, David M"],"dc:date.available":["2018-05-13T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Nanopores have been shown to be a useful analytical tool for single molecule detection. They have been used to study the composition of DNA and other molecules of interest. These pores are usually α-hemolysin which is a toxin from Staphylococcus aureus or more recently nanoscale synthetic solid state pores. Now we are beginning to look at other molecules or proteins by sending them into the nanopores and measuring a characteristic partial current blockade. In this thesis we look at polyethylene glycol (PEG) as it enters and blocks current through a single alpha hemolysin pore. We report the effects of ionic strength, PEG size, and applied voltage on the depth and duration of the current blockades. We also apply autocorrelation analysis on the arrival times of PEG molecules to the pore see if we can identify if the PEG is translocating through the pore or escaping from the same side it enters. This suggests a new approach to current blockade analysis.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://doi.org/10.25772/ZYP0-E752","https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/483"],"dc:rights":["© The Author"],"dc:subject":["α-Hemolysin","nanopore","Polyethylene Glycol","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","Physics"],"dc:title":["Analysis of Polyethylene Glycol in the α-Hemolysin Nanopore"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Physics and Applied Physics"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:53:56Z"}