Controlled transport of single biomolecules through nanopores

Abstract

Different types of nanopores are nowadays used for the detection of single molecules in solution. This detection is possible due to the changes in the ionic current established between two electrodes when a molecule is partially blocking the entrance of the nanopore. In this work, we have performed translocation experiments of single DNA molecules using glass nanocapillaries as molecular sensors. The obtained results show that using glass nanocapillaries we are able to determine the cross-section of the DNA double helix passing through the nanochannel and distinguish different molecular configurations. Analyzing the kinetics of the translocation process, we are able to describe it as a voltage-induced thermally activated process that follows an Arrhenius behaviour