  We report on the detection of inactivation of virus particles using
femtosecond laser radiation by measuring the conductance of a solid state
nanopore designed for detecting single virus particles. Conventional methods of
assaying for viral inactivation based on plaque forming assays require 24-48
hours for bacterial growth. Nanopore conductance measurements provide
information on morphological changes at a single virion level. We show that
analysis of a time series of nanopore conductance can quantify the detection of
inactivation, requiring only a few minutes from collection to analysis.
Morphological changes were verified by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS).
Statistical analysis maximizing the information entropy provides a measure of
the Log-reduction value. Taken together, our work provides a rapid method for
assaying viral inactivation with femtosecond lasers using solid-state
nanopores.
