Driving DNA Nanopore Membrane Insertion through Dipolar Coupling.

DNA nanopores appear to be a plausible alternative to the use of transmembrane proteins. The specificity and programmability of DNA interactions allow the design of synthetic channels that insert into lipid bilayers and can regulate the ionic transport across them. In this Communication, we investigate the dependence of insertion capabilities on the electrostatic properties of the nanopore and show that the presence of a permanent electric dipole is an important factor for the nanopore to insert into the membrane.

Detection of Short DNA Sequences with DNA Nanopores.

Several studies suggest strong correlation between different types of cancer and the relative concentration of short circulating RNA sequences (miRNA). Because of short length and low concentration, miRNA detection is not easy. Standard methods such as RT-PCR require both the standard PCR amplification step and a preliminary additional step of reverse transcription.