Discrimination of neutral oligosaccharides through a nanopore.

The detection of oligosaccharides at the single-molecule level was investigated using a protein nanopore device. Neutral oligosaccharides of various molecular weights were translocated through a single α-hemolysin nanopore and their nano-transit recorded at the single-molecule level. The translocation of maltose and dextran oligosaccharides featured by 1→4 and 1→6 glycosidic bonds respectively was studied in an attempt to discriminate oligosaccharides according to their polymerization degree and glycosidic linkages.