Osaka researchers distinguish L- and D-amino acids from single-molecule currents
Gold-electrode nanogap currents combined with machine learning distinguished chirality in research samples.
Researchers including Osaka University reported a technique combining current traces from a gold-electrode nanogap with machine learning to distinguish L- and D-forms of amino acids. They also evaluated meteorite and desert samples.
The work demonstrates a promising identification approach. Quantitative concentration and D/L-ratio accuracy remain to be established, so laboratories should not treat it as a validated routine assay.