Driven translocation of a polynucleotide chain through a nanopore: A continuous time Monte Carlo study

Using the continuous time Monte Carlo method, we simulated the translocation of a polynucleotide chain driven through a nanopore by an electric field. We have used two models of driven diffusion due to the electric field. The chain may have strong interaction with the pore, and depends on which end of the chain first enters the pore. Depending on this interaction, in both cases, the distribution of times for the chain to pass through the pore in our model is found to have three peaks, as observed in the experiment of Kasianowicz Brandin, Branton, and Deamer [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 13770 (1996)].