CaltechAUTHORS
Published September 2012 | Version Accepted Version
Journal Article Open

Single-protein nanomechanical mass spectrometry in real time

Creators

  • 1. ROR icon California Institute of Technology
  • 2. ROR icon Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
  • 3. ROR icon CEA LETI

Abstract

Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) resonators can detect mass with exceptional sensitivity. Previously, mass spectra from several hundred adsorption events were assembled in NEMS-based mass spectrometry using statistical analysis. Here, we report the first realization of single-molecule NEMS-based mass spectrometry in real time. As each molecule in the sample adsorbs on the resonator, its mass and position of adsorption are determined by continuously tracking two driven vibrational modes of the device. We demonstrate the potential of multimode NEMS-based mass spectrometry by analysing IgM antibody complexes in real time. NEMS-based mass spectrometry is a unique and promising new form of mass spectrometry: it can resolve neutral species, provide a resolving power that increases markedly for very large masses, and allow the acquisition of spectra, molecule-by-molecule, in real time.

Additional Information

© 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. Received 24 February 2012; Accepted 15 June 2012; Published online 26 August 2012. The authors thank I. Bargatin, E. Myers, M. Shahgholi, I. Kozinsky, M. Matheny, J. Sader, P. Hung, E. Sage and R. Karabalin for helpful discussions, and C. Marcoux for assistance with device fabrication. The authors acknowledge the support and infrastructure provided by the Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech, as well as support from the NIH (grant no. R01-GM085666-01A1Z), the NSF (MRI grant no. DBI-0821863), the Fondation pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement Superieur, an Institut Mérieux Research Grant, partial support from the Institut Carnot CEA-LETI and the Carnot-NEMS project, and a grant from the Partnership University Fund of the French Embassy to the USA. M.L.R. acknowledges support from an NIH Director's Pioneer Award and a Chaire d'Excellence (RTRA) from Fondation Nanosciences. S.H. and E.C. acknowledge partial support from EU CEA Eurotalent Fellowships. Author contributions: M.L.R., A.K.N., M.S.H. and S.K. conceived and designed the experiments. M.S.H., S.K. and A.K.N. performed the experiments. M.S.H., S.K., A.K.N. and M.L.R. analysed the data. M.S.H., S.K., A.K.N., D.C., S.H., E.C.B., E.C., L.D. and M.L.R. contributed materials and analysis tools. M.S.H., S.K., M.L.R. and A.K.N. wrote the paper.

Attached Files

Accepted Version - nihms386392.pdf

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Additional details

Identifiers

PMCID
PMC3435450
Eprint ID
33554
DOI
10.1038/nnano.2012.119
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20120827-100927277

Related works

Describes
10.1038/nnano.2012.119 (DOI)

Funding

NIH
R01-GM085666-01A1Z
NSF
DBI-0821863
Fondation pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement Superieur
Institut Mérieux Research Grant
Institut Carnot CEA-LETI
Carnot-NEMS Project
French Embassy Partnership University Fund
NIH Director's Pioneer Award
Fondation Nanosciences Chaire d'Excellence (RTRA)
EU CEA Eurotalent Fellowships
Kavli Nanoscience Institute

Dates

Created
2012-08-27
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2021-11-09
Created from EPrint's last_modified field

Caltech Custom Metadata

Caltech groups
Kavli Nanoscience Institute , Physics Department