Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
09:43
Fine-tuning the Size and Minimizing the Noise of Solid-state Nanopores
Published on: October 31, 2013
Controlling DNA capture and propagation through artificial nanopores
Eliane H Trepagnier1, Aleksandra Radenovic, David Sivak
1Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
Nano Letters
|August 21, 2007
Summary
Optical tweezers slow DNA translocation through nanopores by 200-fold, enabling detailed analysis for DNA sequencing and characterization. This breakthrough enhances nanopore technology for biological applications.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Nanopore sequencing analyzes biopolymers by measuring ionic current changes during translocation.
- High translocation speeds limit the resolution and accuracy of nanopore analysis.
- Current methods struggle to capture sufficient data for complex applications like haplotyping.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate methods for reducing DNA translocation speed through nanopores.
- To enhance the resolution and information obtainable from single DNA molecules.
- To overcome limitations in nanopore-based DNA analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing optical tweezers to manipulate DNA molecules coupled to beads.
- Presenting captured DNA to artificial nanopores.
- Controlling DNA translocation speed by adjusting optical trap parameters.
- Repeatedly electrophoresing single DNA molecules through the nanopore.
Main Results:
- Optical tweezers successfully reduced lambda-DNA translocation speed by approximately 200-fold (to 150 bp/ms).
- DNA molecules were captured from micrometers away and manipulated ('flossed') through the nanopore.
- Controlled sample presentation and slowed speeds enabled enhanced data acquisition per molecule.
Conclusions:
- Optical tweezers offer a viable method to significantly slow DNA translocation in nanopores.
- This technique improves the potential for high-resolution nanopore sequencing and haplotyping.
- The controlled manipulation of DNA advances nanopore applications in genomics and protein-DNA interaction studies.
