Rapid sequencing of individual DNA molecules in graphene nanogaps

Nano Lett. 2010 Feb 10;10(2):420-5. doi: 10.1021/nl9029237.

Abstract

I propose a technique for reading the base sequence of a single DNA molecule using a graphene nanogap to read the DNA's transverse conductance. Because graphene is a single atom thick, single-base resolution of the conductance is readily obtained. The nonlinear current-voltage characteristic is used to determine the base type independent of nanogap-width variations that cause the current to change by 5 orders of magnitude. The expected sequencing error rate is 0% up to a nanogap width of 1.6 nm.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Toxins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics
  • Carbon / chemistry*
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / genetics
  • Electrophysiology / methods
  • Hemolysin Proteins / chemistry
  • Hemolysin Proteins / genetics
  • Models, Statistical
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods*
  • Silicon Dioxide / chemistry
  • Stochastic Processes

Substances

  • Bacterial Toxins
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • staphylococcal alpha-toxin
  • Carbon
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • DNA