Nanopore DNA Tunneling Detector to Speed Up Genome Sequencing

Researchers at the Imperial College London are developing a new genome sequencing technique that could potentially reduce whole genome sequencing time to just a few minutes and do it at a fraction of the current cost. They use electrical charges to propel DNA strands at high speed through a 50 nanometre nanopore in a silicon chip. Two platinum electrodes 2nm apart then read the base sequence from the DNA by detecting distinct electrical signals from each base code (C, T, A and G). The researchers have not yet sequenced a complete human genome, but they expect to be able to sequence it within minutes with sequencing speeds up to 10 million bases per second, versus the typical 10 bases per second of current technologies. There is still some work ahead though, as the current paper is only a start, describing device fabrication and characterization. The work is published in this month’s issue of the journal Nano Letters.
Press release: Your genome in minutes: New technology could slash sequencing time…
Article: DNA Tunneling Detector Embedded in a Nanopore…