Method and device for identifying nucleotide, and method and device for determining nucleotide sequence of polynucleotide

摘要

The present invention provides technology that uses current measurements to identify nucleotides and determine a nucleotide sequence in polynucleotides. The present invention calculates a modal value of a tunnel current that arises when a nucleotide or polynucleotide for analysis passes through between electrodes, and then employs the calculated modal value. The present invention accordingly enables direct rapid implementation to identify nucleotides and to determine a nucleotide sequence in a polynucleotide without marking.

主权项

1. A method for sequencing a nucleic acid molecule, comprising:
(a) providing a solid substrate comprising a pair of electrodes that at least partially define a gap, wherein said gap has a distance that is less than a molecular diameter of said nucleic acid molecule; (b) moving said nucleic acid molecule through said gap; (c) detecting pulses of a tunnel current across said gap using said pair of electrodes, which pulses correspond to individual nucleic acid subunits of said nucleic acid molecule; (d) calculating a modal value of current of said pulses detected in (c); and (e) comparing said modal value calculated in (d) against a reference value to identify an individual nucleic acid subunit of said nucleic acid molecule.