Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Polymer Translocation Through A Nanopore: Controlling Capture Conformations Using An Electrical Force, Matthew D. Wei

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Solid-state nanopore sensors remain a promising solution to the rising global demand for genome sequencing. These single-molecule sensing technologies require single-file translocation for high resolution and accurate detection. This study uses molecular dynamics-lattice Boltzmann simulations of the capture of a single polymer chain under pressure-driven hydrodynamic flow to investigate a method of increasing the single-file capture and translocation rate. By using a model force of two oppositely electrically charged rings, single-file capture in hydrodynamic flow can be amplified from about 45% to 51.5%. This paper found that the optimal values of force location, force strength, and system pressure/flow velocity are …