Nanopore Sequencing and its Application in Biology

Nanopore sequencing is a third generation sequencing technique. It involves the electrophoretic transport of nucleic acids through the protein channels of nanometer size, called nanopores, followed by deciphering their nucleotide sequence, based on the changes in the measured electrical signal. The nanopore technique allowed for remarkable extending the sequencing read lengths and enabled direct sequencing of native DNA and RNA molecules. As a result, within just a few-year period since the release of the first nanopore sequencer, it has become one of the leading sequencing technologies. The broad scope of nanopore sequencing applications includes, in particular, genome assembly, structural variation studies, identification of nucleic acid chemical modifications and transcript alternative splicing studies. Portable, easy to operate, nanopore sequencers are also increasingly used in epidemiological and agricultural research to quickly identify and monitor the spread of pathogenic bacteria and viruses.