dsDNA detection comparison between conventional and nanobridge
configurations. (a) (i) Nanobridge configuration. Ionic current recordings
for 5 kb DNA (top) and 200 bp DNA (bottom) recorded in 100 mM KCl
at 250 mV voltage applied. Measurements and analysis were performed
using a 10 kHz low-pass filter. For visualization purposes only, the
trace was filtered at 200 Hz. The measured peak current was 17.17
± 0.96 pA and 3.42 ± 0.34 pA respectively. (ii) Corresponding
measurements in a conventional nanopore configuration. For 5 kbp the
peak current was 17.65 ± 2.11 pA. No events were detected for
200 bp. (iii) Scatter plots showing the dwell time and peak current
distribution for 5 kbp DNA (top) and 200 bp DNA (bottom) detected
in the nanobridge and conventional configurations. (b) Voltage dependence
on current blockade for 1.5 kbp DNA. The peak current as determined
by Gaussian fitting was 9.94 ± 0.82 pA at 250 mV, 14.62 ±
0.68 pA at 300 mV, 17.43 ± 0.68 pA at 325 mV, and 20.16 ±
0.92 pA at 350 mV, respectively. (c) (i) Peak current, fwhm, and SNR
dependence on voltage applied using the nanobridge configuration.
The fwhm remained largely unchanged at 1.83 ± 0.28, while SNR
increases from 29.2 ± 2.4 at 250 mV to 38.8 ± 1.8 at 350
mV due to decrease in DNA translocation time at higher voltages. (ii)
Peak current, fwhm, and SNR dependence on DNA length at a fixed voltage
(250 mV). In the nanobridge configuration the mean peak current scales
with the radius of gyration squared of the DNA molecule: from 3.42
± 0.34 pA for 200 bp to 24.59 ± 0.92 pA for 10 kbp. A similar
trend was observed for the SNR, whereas the fwhm values remained similar.
As point of reference SNR and fwhm for 5 kbp detected using a conventional
configuration are plotted in the graph (orange square).