Assisted DNA hairpin retraction from nanopores

ORAL

Abstract

We present results from recent experimental and theoretical investigations of DNA hairpin retraction from an $\alpha$-hemolysin nanopore in the presence of an assisting voltage. By mapping the translocation process to that of biased diffusion of a Brownian particle we compute the probability of the polymer to stay in the pore as a function of time. Using this model we back out the diffusion constant and the drift velocity of the polymer as a function of the assisting voltage. While the drift-diffusion model gives good agreement with experiments at low voltages it fails for high assisting voltages. We discuss possible reasons for this along with the implications of our work.

–

Authors

  • Meni Wanunu

    • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215

  • Buddhapriya Chakrabarti

    • Lyman Laboratory of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138

  • Jerome Mathe

    • Department of Polymeric Materials and Interfaces, Evry University, Evry, France, 91025

  • David Nelson

    • Lyman Laboratory of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
    • Harvard

  • Amit Meller

    • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215