Nanoelectromechanical systems for accurate high-speed DNA sequencing

Fast and accurate de-novo DNA sequencing from direct translocation of intact DNA polymer in nanoscale devices has been long considered to be the ultimate alternative to the existing sequencing methods, which are still limited by cost and throughput. Various approaches have been proposed in the last two decades, ranging from employing ionic current blockage by DNA nucleotides in aqueous nanopores to using chemically selective tunneling current probes. Before such concepts achieve true technological relevance, numerous issues must be tackled, from achieving robust selectivity in realistic operational environments to developing noise-resistant readout scheme [1-3].