Ames Laboratory, US Department of Energy, Ames, Iowa, USA.
Electrophoresis. 2011 Nov;32(23):3308-18. doi: 10.1002/elps.201100159.
Single-molecule detection (SMD) allows static and dynamic heterogeneities from seemingly equal molecules to be revealed in the studies of molecular structures and intra- and inter-molecular interactions. Micro- and nanometer-sized structures, including channels, chambers, droplets, etc., in microfluidic and nanofluidic devices allow diffusion-controlled reactions to be accelerated and provide high signal-to-noise ratio for optical signals. These two active research frontiers have been combined to provide unprecedented capabilities for chemical and biological studies. This review summarizes the advances of SMD performed on microfluidic and nanofluidic devices published in the past five years. The latest developments on optical SMD methods, microfluidic SMD platforms, and on-chip SMD applications are discussed herein and future development directions are also envisioned.
单分子检测 (SMD) 允许在分子结构和分子内及分子间相互作用的研究中揭示看似相同分子的静态和动态异质性。微纳尺寸的结构，包括微流控和纳流控装置中的通道、腔室、液滴等，允许扩散控制反应加速，并为光学信号提供高信噪比。这两个活跃的研究前沿已经结合起来，为化学和生物学研究提供了前所未有的能力。本综述总结了过去五年在微流控和纳流控装置上进行的 SMD 研究进展。本文讨论了光学 SMD 方法、微流控 SMD 平台以及芯片上 SMD 应用的最新进展，并展望了未来的发展方向。
