Stiffness measurement of nanosized liposomes using solid-state nanopore sensor with automated recapturing platform

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Liposomes are crucial nanoscale vesicles with applications in drug delivery.
• Accurately measuring the mechanical properties, such as stiffness, of liposomes is vital for optimizing their function.
• Conventional methods often lack the precision for detailed analysis of individual nanoscale vesicles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel recapture platform coupled with a solid-state nanopore sensor for gauging liposome stiffness.
• To enable multiple electrical profiling of individual liposomes for enhanced statistical analysis.
• To investigate the shape deformation of liposomes at the nanoscale.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a custom-built recapture platform integrated with a solid-state nanopore sensor.
• Employed automated voltage polarity reversal for repeated translocation of the same liposome through the nanopore.
• Compared normalized relative current blockade data of liposomes with rigid polystyrene beads to infer shape deformation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that lower voltages (100 mV) yield higher liposome recapture frequencies compared to higher voltages (>200 mV).
• Observed that liposomes deform into a prolate shape at higher applied voltages.
• Established a method for statistically robust analysis of individual nanoscale particles.

Conclusions:

• The developed nanopore platform accurately measures liposome stiffness and deformation.
• This technique offers superior statistical insight by analyzing the same particle multiple times.
• The platform has broad applicability for studying other soft matter (viruses, exosomes) and advancing pharmaceutical applications involving drug vesicles.