Department of Physics, Harvard University
Biography
Dr. Slaven Garaj is research associate at Harvard University where he works in the field of nanopores and single-molecule biosensors. With the main goal of developing a next-generation, inexpensive DNA sequencing scheme, he recently developed a new class of nanopores based on graphene, which attracted the wider media attention. Prior to joining Harvard, Dr. Garaj earned his PhD in the field of condensed matter physics at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), where he investigated electronic properties of carbon-based materials. His research interests include single molecule biophysics, nano-fluidics with synthetic nanopores, and nano-electronics.
Abstract
Next Generation DNA Sequencing Using Nanopores
New DNA sequencing technologies used in the laboratories today have significantly expanded the scope of the biological research, but also revolutionized many other scientific fields. Still, a significant cost reduction and speed increase of the DNA sequencing is required before it can routinely be used to improve the prevention and treatment of human diseases. To achieve required sub-$1000 price tag for the full human genome sequencing, a disruptive new technology has to be developed. The nanopore-based sequencing schemes are one of the most promising methods within the field, and a prime example of integrated nano and bio-technology.
In a nanopore-sequencing device, a long polynucleotide is electrophoretically threaded – in a single-file fashion – through an individual nanometer-scale pore fabricated in a freestanding membrane separating two ionic solutions. Nucleobases enter the highly confined space of the nanopore in the succession that corresponds to their native genetic sequence. Different detection methods can then be applied to register nucleobases passing through the active part of the nanopore, including ion-current, electrical and optical measurements. I will present the current status, prospects and challenges in the field of the nanopore sensors, with the special emphasis on a new class of graphene nanopores we have developed recently.
