Abstract
An unresolved problem in nanopore sensing is the high translocation speed (∼10-100 monomers/μs) of an analyte (nucleotide, DNA, amino acid (AA), peptide) through the pore. Here a method based on reversing the pore voltage and changing the solution pH is described. A simplified Fokker-Planck model shows mean translocation times of 1-10 ms in a nanopore of length 10 nm. Simulations show that a positive-negative voltage profile can trap an analyte for ∼1 ms. This method can be used for free nucleotides, single AAs, oligonucleotides, and oligopeptides. Its applicability to existing nanopore sensing and sequencing techniques and implementation issues are discussed.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
1) Mobility calculations redone with individual pk1, pk2 values for all 20 amino acids (instead of with average values); 2) Some simulations redone to accord with Item 1 above (with minor insignificant changes in the results); 3) Figure 2 redone, made more compact; 4) Information on electroosmotic flow added; 5) Supplementary information file rewritten to reflect changes in Item 1; 6) Six references added to main text, seven to Supplement; 7) Title shortened.