DNA translocation through alpha-haemolysin nano-pores with potential application to macromolecular data storage

TL;DR

This paper explores DNA translocation through alpha-haemolysin nanopores, demonstrating potential for high-speed, reliable macromolecular data storage by analyzing translocation signals and parameter dependencies in miniaturized experimental setups.

Contribution

It presents preliminary experimental results showing DNA translocation signals in nanopores, advancing the feasibility of molecular data storage systems.

Findings

Distinct translocation signals for DNA segments

Translocation rate depends on experimental parameters

Miniaturized chambers are scalable for future applications

Abstract

Digital information can be encoded in the building-block sequence of macromolecules, such as RNA and single-stranded DNA. Methods of "writing" and "reading" macromolecular strands are currently available, but they are slow and expensive. In an ideal molecular data storage system, routine operations such as write, read, erase, store, and transfer must be done reliably and at high speed within an integrated chip. As a first step toward demonstrating the feasibility of this concept, we report preliminary results of DNA readout experiments conducted in miniaturized chambers that are scalable to even smaller dimensions. We show that translocation of a single-stranded DNA molecule (consisting of 50 adenosine bases followed by 100 cytosine bases) through an ion-channel yields a characteristic signal that is attributable to the 2-segment structure of the molecule. We also examine the dependence of the translocation rate and speed on the adjustable parameters of the experiment.