Commonly, pore-forming proteins are expressed as soluble monomers. Each protomer contains a membrane-targeting element that often selectively engages a lipid or protein binding partner to recognize its target membrane. Subsequently they oligomerize on the surface of the bilayer and then insert into it to form a lesion.

Activation of lipid metabolism is an early event in carcinogenesis and a central hallmark of many cancers; and many tumors showed a different lipid composition as compared with normal tissues. We use a directed evolution approach to evolve the nanopore to engage selectively with target cancerogenic cells. The nanopore will then kill the cell or open a doorway for therapeutic drug delivery