Prof. Marija Drndic
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Pennsylvania

Following the exfoliation of graphene in 2004, interest in 2D materials research has grown for two decades due to their unique electrical and optical properties. Once isolated, 2D materials can be suspended and patterned to create 2D nanopore sensors, and around 2008, we demonstrated the first graphene nanopores. Nanopores are highly tunable holes and range in size from single-atom-vacancies to hundreds of nanometers in diameter, depending upon the desired physics regime and mode of application. Nanopores operate as single molecule counters, where changes in ionic current measured across the pore correspond to the physical and electronic characteristics of a given molecule. Thanks to improved fabrication techniques and custom electronics, the sensitivity of nanopore sensors has only
improved. 
 
In this talk, I will discuss the fabrication of 2D nanopore sensors and highlight the exciting new science and applications of this technology. My lab has recently worked on experiments where nanopores are envisioned for NASA uses to identify signs of life on Mars; by molecular biologists to uncover conformational differences in diseased and healthy tRNA populations; by immunologists to improve mRNA vaccine technology; and by interdisciplinary teams of physicists, materials scientists, and electrical engineers to develop robust, low-cost platforms for rapid sequencing of biomolecules including DNA and proteins.