ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the use of ion microscopes for detecting interactions of nucleic acids with small molecules is described. The ion microscope consists of a nanoscale pore in an ultrathin membrane, in which ion current through the nanopore under an electric •eld is measured. Passage of individual nucleic acid molecules through very small pores gives rise to electronic signals that report on the fraction of small molecules bound to the nucleic acid, affording binding af•nity measurements as well as spatial resolution.
