Systems and Methods for Controlling the Position of a Charged Polymer Inside a Nanopore

• US 20100025249A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rossnagel, Stephen M., Stolovitzky, Gustavo A., Polonsky, Stanislav
• Application Number:
  US12/540,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20100025249A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/628
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6825 Nucleic acid detection involving sensors
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6869 Methods for sequencing
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2563/155 Particles of a defined size, e.g. nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/607 being a sensor, e.g. electrode
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/631 being a biochannel or pore
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/0038 Investigating nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48721 Investigating individual macromolecules, e.g. by translocation through nanopores Coulter counters in general G01N15/12; fabrication methods for nanoscale apertures B81B1/00; sequencing of nucleic acids C12Q1/68
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/924 using nanostructure as support of dna analysis

Abstract

Techniques for controlling the position of a charged polymer inside a nanopore are provided. For example, one technique includes using electrostatic control to position a linear charged polymer inside a nanopore, and creating an electrostatic potential well inside the nanopore, wherein the electrostatic potential well controls a position of the linear charged polymer inside the nanopore.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a position of a linear charged polymer inside a nanopore, comprising:

a reservoir separated by a membrane into two parts, wherein the membrane is formed as a stack of one or more locking electrodes;

a nanopore in the membrane, wherein the nanopore connects the two parts of the reservoir;

a drag electrode in each of the two parts of the reservoir; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the output of a time-dependent voltage to each locking electrode and each drag electrode to control a position of a linear charged polymer inside the nanopore, wherein controlling a position of the linear charged polymer inside the nanopore comprises locking the position of one monomer of the linear charged polymer inside the nanopore.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more locking electrodes comprise a first locking electrode and a second locking electrode, and wherein the stack of one or more locking electrodes comprises the first locking electrode and the second locking electrode separated by one or more insulators.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit implements the steps of:

applying a time-dependent voltage to each drag electrode to attract a linear charged polymer from a first part of a reservoir to a second part of the reservoir; and

applying a time-dependent voltage to each locking electrode to create an electrostatic potential well, wherein the electrostatic potential well controls the position of the linear charged polymer.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit further implements the steps of:

detecting entry of the linear charged polymer inside the nanopore; and

reducing the time-dependent voltage from the each drag electrode.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control unit further implements the steps of:

performing one or more characterization activities on a monomer of the linear charged polymer;

reducing the time-dependent voltage from each locking electrode and the electrostatic potential well; and

increasing the time-dependent voltage to each drag electrode to translocate the linear charged polymer by one or more monomers.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the linear charged polymer comprises DNA, and wherein performing one or more characterization activities comprises DNA sequencing.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit further implements repetition of the following steps:

reducing the time-dependent voltage from each drag electrode;

increasing the time-dependent voltage to each locking electrode to create an electrostatic potential well, wherein the electrostatic potential well controls a position of the linear charged polymer;

performing one or more characterization activities on a monomer of the linear charged polymer;

reducing the time-dependent voltage from each locking electrode and the electrostatic potential well; and

increasing the time-dependent voltage to each drag electrode to translocate the linear charged polymer by one or more monomers.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control unit implements repetition of the steps for the entire linear charged polymer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each locking electrode and each drag electrode are controlled independently.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic potential well comprises one or more spatially dependent profiles.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more locking electrodes comprise one or more geometries.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more geometries comprise a half plain geometry.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more geometries comprise a cylindrical geometry.