Magnets Might Enable Low-Cost Nanopore DNA Sequencing

A novel technique to move DNA strands through nanopores at a slow enough speed for accurate sequencing has been developed by physicists at Brown University. The techique involves the use of "magnetic tweezers" in conjunction with an electric field to move the DNA. The researchers believe that this new technique might serve as the basis for lower-cost DNA sequencing. The research was reported in the journal Nanotechnology. [Press release]