Fast DNA Sequencing via Transverse Electronic Transport

TL;DR

This paper proposes a theoretically feasible, rapid, and low-cost DNA sequencing method using transverse electronic transport through nanopores, potentially revolutionizing medical genetics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel sequencing protocol based on electrical current distributions, demonstrating high accuracy and speed in genome sequencing without parallelization.

Findings

Sequencing of the human genome could be achieved in hours.

The method offers high accuracy without the need for parallel processing.

Potential for significant advancements in personalized medicine.

Abstract

A rapid and low-cost method to sequence DNA would usher in a revolution in medicine. We propose and theoretically show the feasibility of a protocol for sequencing based on the distributions of transverse electrical currents of single-stranded DNA while it translocates through a nanopore. Our estimates, based on the statistics of these distributions, reveal that sequencing of an entire human genome could be done with very high accuracy in a matter of hours without parallelization, e.g., orders of magnitude faster than present techniques. The practical implementation of our approach would represent a substantial advancement in our ability to study, predict and cure diseases from the perspective of the genetic makeup of each individual.