Membrane nanopores—hollow nanoscale barrels that puncture biological or synthetic membranes—have become powerful tools in chemical- and biosensing, and have achieved notable success in portable DNA sequencing. The pores can be self-assembled from a variety of materials, including proteins, peptides, synthetic organic compounds and, more recently, DNA. But which building material is best for which application, and what is the relationship between pore structure and function? In this Review, I critically compare the characteristics of the different building materials, and explore the influence of the building material on pore structure, dynamics and function. I also discuss the future challenges of developing nanopore technology, and consider what the next-generation of nanopore structures could be and where further practical applications might emerge.

膜纳米孔（用于刺穿生物膜或合成膜的中空纳米桶）已成为化学和生物传感中的强大工具，并在便携式DNA测序中取得了显著成功。孔可以由多种材料自组装，包括蛋白质，肽，合成有机化合物以及最近的DNA。但是哪种建筑材料最适合哪种应用，孔结构和功能之间的关系是什么？在这篇评论中，我严格地比较了不同建筑材料的特性，并探讨了建筑材料对孔结构，动力学和功能的影响。我还讨论了开发纳米孔技术的未来挑战，