Imec

Imec Vzw

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Ku Leuven R&d

Chang Chen

Pol Van Dorpe

Liesbet Lagae

Tim Stakenborg

Kai Cheng

Gustaaf Regina Borghs

Kris Covens

Qing Cai

Maarten Fauvart

Simone Severi

Koen Martens

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a nanopore field-effect transistor sensor (), comprising: i) a source region () and a drain region (), defining a source-drain axis; ii) a channel region () between the source region () and the drain region (); iii) a nanopore (), defined as an opening in the channel region () which completely crosses through the channel region (), oriented at an angle to the source-drain axis, having a first orifice () and a second orifice (), and being adapted for creating a non-linear potential profile between the first () and second () orifice.

Nanopore FET sensor with non-linear potential profile

A method for writing data including a sequence of bits, the data being written in a form of DNA, by in-vitro enzymatically producing memory DNA from a strand of memory writing substrate DNA is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes repeating of: receiving a sub-sequence of the sequence of bits, the sub-sequence including at least one bit; selecting memory nucleotides based on the sub-sequence; contacting, in liquid medium including the strand of memory writing substrate DNA contacted with an enzyme, the selected memory nucleotides and the enzyme; and synthesizing a portion of the memory DNA from a portion of the strand of memory writing substrate DNA by the enzyme and at least one of the memory nucleotides of the solution, thereby producing memory DNA including memory nucleotides corresponding to bits of the sequence of bits. The disclosed technology further relates to a micro-fluidic system including a microfluidic chip and a controller.

Method for writing data in DNA based memories

The present invention relates to a method for writing data comprising a sequence of bits, the data being written in a form of nucleic acid, by in-vitro enzymatically producing memory nucleic acid from a strand of memory writing substrate nucleic acid, wherein the strand of memory writing substrate nucleic acid comprises a plurality of spacer sections and memory writing sections sandwiched between the spacer sections. Each of the spacer sections comprises one or more nucleobases, and each of the memory writing sections comprises a nucleobase other than the nucleobases of an adjacent spacer section upstream of the memory writing section in a travel direction of an enzyme along the strand of memory writing substrate nucleic acid. The method comprising: repeating of: synthesising, in liquid medium comprising the strand of memory writing substrate nucleic acid contacted with the enzyme, a spacer portion of the memory nucleic acid from a spacer section by the enzyme by contacting with a solution of spacer nucleotides compatible with the nucleobases of the spacer section; halting the synthesising of the spacer portion in a position where the enzyme is reaching the memory writing section resulting from incompatibility between spacer nucleotides and nucleobases of the portion of the memory nucleic acid from the memory writing section; receiving a sub-sequence of the sequence of bits, said sub-sequence comprising at least one bit; selecting a memory nucleotide compatible with the nucleobase of the memory writing section, and comprising a first label or first modification, on a condition that said sub-sequence comprises a predetermined first sequence of bit-values, and selecting a memory nucleotide compatible with the nucleobase of the memory writing section, and comprising a second label or second modification, on a condition that said sub-sequence comprises a predetermined second sequence of bit-values; and subsequent to the halting, synthesising, in the liquid medium comprising the strand of memory writing substrate nucleic acid contacted with the enzyme, a memory portion of the memory nucleic acid from the memory writing section by the enzyme by contacting the enzyme with a solution of the selected memory nucleotide.

Method for writing data in nucleic acid based memories

A system () is described for characterizing and/or manipulating molecules. The system may especially be suitable for biological molecules, although the invention is not limited thereto. The system () comprises a substrate () comprising a nanostructure () being suitable for translocation of molecules through the nanostructure (). It furthermore comprises a means () for translocating molecules through the nanostructure () and a plasmonic force field generating means () adapted for influencing the translocation speed of the particle by applying a plasmonic force field at the nanostructure (). A corresponding method also is described.

Plasmonic force manipulation in nanostructures

A system for assisting in spectrally characterizing or detecting a sample using radiation at a predetermined wavelength or in a predetermined wavelength range is disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes a substrate having a nanopore for excitation of plasmons. The nanopore provides a window through the substrate, wherein a smallest window opening of the window has an average length (L) and an average width (W) both being substantially smaller than 2 &#x3bc;m. The nanopore supports highly confined surface plasmon polaritons and at specific wavelengths resonances are observed, when the conditions for a standing wave are fulfilled. This leads to strong field enhancements and enables single molecule spectroscopy.

Spectroscopy using nanopore cavities

A method for forming a nanostructure penetrating a layer and the device made thereof is disclosed. In one aspect, the device has a substrate, a layer present thereon, and a nanostructure penetrating the layer. The nanostructure defines a nanoscale passageway through which a molecule to be analyzed can pass through. The nanostructure has, in cross-sectional view, a substantially triangular shape. This shape is particularly achieved by growth of an epitaxial layer having crystal facets defining tilted sidewalls of the nanostructure. It is highly suitably for use for optical characterization of molecular structure, particularly with surface plasmon enhanced transmission spectroscopy.

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Leuven, Belgium

Chang Chen