Complex Systems and Biological Physics Seminars

Field-effect-transistors as a tool for third-generation-DNA-sequencing

by Christian Eidecker (Bielefeld University)

Europe/Stockholm
112:028

112:028

Description
The usage of nanopores as a third-generation-sequencing-device has been proposed almost three decades ago. By now, an accuracy of more than 99% has been achieved in biological nanopores [1], whereas solid-state-nanopores suffer from different shortcomings. To overcome these shortcomings, some systems using twodimensional materials have been proposed (see, e.g., [2]). In my talk I will present one of these approaches, namely a graphene nanoribbon placed on top of the nanomembrane, which is functioning as an effectively two-dimensional field-effect-transistor (FET). I will first give an overview about the underlying Poisson-Nernst-Planck-Stokes-formalism, which I use to describe the system in a very simple and effective way. Then I will derive some approximate analytical solutions, which help to tune the system's parameters (e.g. salt concentration), so that one gets the maximum of a somewhat defined signal. I will then present a model in which the translocation of the DNA is restricted to an axis parallel to the pore's axis. This model enables the simulation of the FET's current trace during the translocation of the DNA. I will conclude my presentation with some results obtained by the application of this model, in which I find a single-measurement-accuracy comparable to that of the biological nanopores in [1]. [1] D. Deamer, M. Akeson and D. Branton, “Three decades of nanopore sequencing”, Nature Biotechnology 34, 518–524 (2016) DOI: 10.1038/nbt.3423 [2] S. J. Heerema and C. Dekker, “Graphene nanodevices for DNA sequencing”, Nature Nanotechnology 11, 127–136 (2016) DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2015.307