Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026
09:43
Fine-tuning the Size and Minimizing the Noise of Solid-state Nanopores
Published on: October 31, 2013
14.1K
DNA Nanostructures Characterized via Dual Nanopore Resensing
Wangwei Dong1, Zezhou Liu1, Ruiyao Liu2
1Department of Physics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 2T8, Canada.
ACS Nano
|October 3, 2025
Summary
A novel dual nanopore device enables precise characterization of DNA nanostructures. This advanced sensing technique distinguishes structures by length and subtle differences, overcoming limitations of single-nanopore methods.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Engineering
Background:
- DNA nanotechnology enables the precise engineering of complex nanostructures through predictable nucleic acid interactions.
- Characterizing these self-assembled structures at the single-molecule level is essential for validating their design and functionality.
- Nanopore sensing offers a label-free, solution-based, and high-throughput method for nanoscale characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a dual nanopore device with dynamic feedback for controlling and analyzing DNA nanostructure translocation.
- To demonstrate the capability of distinguishing DNA nanostructures with varying lengths and minor structural differences.
- To establish a robust method for estimating nanostructure size using a finite element diffusion model.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a dual nanopore device with dynamic feedback control for DNA nanostructure translocation.
- Analysis of multi-translocation events using machine learning classification and classical dwell-time/blockade distribution analysis.
- Development of a finite element diffusion model to analyze time-of-flight data for size estimation.
Main Results:
- Successful observation of multiple translocations of the same DNA nanostructure through two distinct nanopores.
- Demonstrated ability to differentiate DNA nanostructures based on length and subtle structural variations, surpassing conventional single-nanopore sensing.
- Accurate estimation of nanostructure size through finite element diffusion modeling of time-of-flight measurements.
Conclusions:
- The dual nanopore device with dynamic feedback is a powerful tool for high-resolution characterization of DNA nanostructures.
- This approach significantly enhances the ability to analyze complex translocation events and discern subtle structural differences.
- The developed methodology provides a new standard for validating and characterizing engineered nanostructures in DNA nanotechnology.
Related Concept Videos
01:16The DNA Helix
Overview
02:05DNA as a Genetic Template
Two structural features of the DNA molecule provide a basis for the mechanisms of heredity: the four nucleotide bases and its double-stranded nature. The Watson-Crick model of double-helical DNA structure, proposed in 1952, drew heavily upon the X-ray crystallography work of researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in 1962. Franklin was, controversially, excluded from the prize for...
01:07The DNA Helix
Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material responsible for passing traits from generation to generation in all organisms and most viruses. DNA is composed of two strands of nucleotides that wind around each other to form a spring-like structure called a double helix. However, the double helix is not perfectly symmetrical. Instead, there are regularly occurring grooves in the structure. The major groove occurs where the sugar-phosphate backbones are relatively far apart. This space...