New Nanopore Technique Captures Cell-Free DNA from Sample Surfaces Source: seksan Mongkhonkhamsao/Getty Images April 7, 2021 Share Scientists from the University of California-Riverside say they have found a way to better detect and capture DNA from fluid samples such as blood using a tiny glass tube and electric current. The technique (“Measuring trapped DNA at the liquid-air interface for enhanced single molecule sensing”), described in Nanoscale, can also improve cancer diagnosis in the future, according to the team. “Nanopore sensing is a promising tool with widespread application in single-molecule detection. Borosilicate glass nanopores are a viable alternative to other solid-state nanopores due to low noise and cost-efficient fabrication. For dielectric materials, including borosilicate glass, the capacitive noise is one of the major contributors to noise, which depends on the wall thickness and the surface area submerged in an ionic solution,” write the authors of the journal article.