Length-Dependent, Single-Molecule Analysis of Short Double-Stranded DNA Fragments through Hydrogel-Filled Nanopores: A Potential Tool for Size Profiling Cell-Free DNA

Fast sampling followed by sequence-independent sensing and length-dependent detection of short double-stranded DNA fragments, the size of those found in blood and other bodily fluids, is achieved using engineered molecular sensors, dubbed hydrogel-filled nanopores (HFNs). Fragments as short as 100 base pairs were blindly sampled and concentrated at the tip of an HFN before reversing the applied potential to detect and distinguish individual...