Researchers at USF are developing nanopore-based sequencing of DNA/RNA using a tri-modal approach that is built around atomically thin, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. This technology has distinct advantages over fluorescence-based techniques, most notably its size and portability. At less than a nanometer thick (less than 1/100 the size of SARS-CoV-2 virus), these atomic-scale 2D crystals are ideal for sensing DNA/RNA as they are one of the few materials that approach the length-scales of individual DNA/RNA nucleotides. This technology will provide unprecedented diagnostic ability for both the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as for future emerging threats.
Oblique View of an Exemplary Tranverse Conductance System With a Transiting Double-Stranded Biopolymer