Microelectronic solutions for ultra low current – low noise - high bandwidth nanopore sensing

Solid-state nanopores, nanoscale apertures fabricated in silicon-based membranes, represent a promising breakthrough in next-generation biosensing technology. As analytes pass through  nanopores, they generate weak electrical signals—unique current fingerprints that can be used for precise molecular identification. Capturing these signals without sacrificing sensitivity or bandwidth presents a significant microelectronic challenge.

ELEMENTS SRL, an Italian company specializing in ASIC design for ultra-low current sensing, addresses this challenge by developing high-precision electronic systems capable of measuring currents in the sub-nanoampere and picoampere range. Their portfolio includes both turnkey instruments and OEM solutions tailored to demanding sensing applications.

As a technology partner for imec’s solid-state nanopore system development, ELEMENTS provides the electronic infrastructure enabling high-throughput, high-bandwidth current sensing and real-time data processing for single-molecule protein sequencing.

This presentation will explore the key design strategies and challenges in CMOS microelectronics for nanopore applications, focusing on low-noise analog front-ends, wide-bandwidth performance in the MHz range, and scalable data acquisition systems. We will highlight how optimized electronic design can unlock the full potential of nanopore technology for early disease detection and proteomic applications, paving the way for faster, more accurate molecular diagnostics.