Patent ID: 8748091
Filing Date: 2014-06-10
Classification: B01L,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of characterizing at least a portion of a double-stranded polynucleotide, said method comprising: providing a membrane having a nanopassage that defines a confine region, wherein said membrane separates a first fluid compartment from a second fluid compartment, and said nanopassage is in fluid communication with the first and second compartments; providing said double-stranded polynucleotide to said first fluid compartment; establishing a driving voltage bias that is greater than a threshold voltage across said membrane to force a portion of said double-stranded polynucleotide into said nanopassage, wherein said portion of said double-stranded polynucleotide has a confined portion positioned within said confine region and said confine region deforms said double-stranded polynucleotide by increasing axial rise from an undeformed axial rise value to a deformed axial rise value in said confine region or a region adjacent thereto; monitoring an electrical current through said nanopassage; identifying a confine state from said a monitored electrical current from said monitoring step, wherein said confine state corresponds to said confined portion containing a confined nucleotide base-pair of said polynucleotide in said confine region; reducing said driving voltage bias to a holding voltage that is less than or equal to said threshold voltage, thereby trapping said confined nucleotide base-pair in said nanopassage confine region for a trapping time, wherein said trapping time is selected from a range that is greater than or equal to 10 ns and less than or equal to 1 second; and measuring a nucleotide base-pair dependent current blockade through said nanopassage confine region having said confined nucleotide base-pair during said trapping time, to characterize the confined nucleotide base-pair, thereby characterizing at least a portion of said polynucleotide.