US Patent 7238952 - Molecular motors for controlling DNA flow through nanopores

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7238485.html

Nanopore sequencing is a method of determining the sequence of nucleic acid molecules (e.g. RNA, DNA) by flowing such molecules through a nonopore aperature resulting in a detectable alteration of ionic current. This patent co-owned by Harvard, the University of California, and Agilent Technologies forms a molecular structure such as polymerases or ribosomes at the nanopore to act as a motor to better control the rate of analysis. Claim 1 reads:

1. A nanopore analysis system, comprising: (a) a structure having a nanopore aperture; and (b) a molecular motor adjacent the nanopore aperture, wherein the molecular motor is capable of moving a polynucleotide with respect to the nanopore aperture at a rate of 350-2000 Hz.