Characterization of the translocation of polymers driven through nanopores using molecular dynamics simulations

The passage of a polymer through a narrow pore (translocation) is a fundamental process with a wide range of biological applications.~ In particular, threading DNA through nanopores promises to have important implications for the next generation of DNA sequencing techniques.~ In this work, simulations of the translocation of polymers being driven through a narrow, short nanopore are conducted via the Espresso Molecular Dynamics simulation package using the Lattice-Boltzmann algorithm to include hydrodynamics.~ In this talk, results from simulations in which an external field is applied within the pore or to one end of the polymer are presented and compared.~ Characterization of the scaling of the translocation time with the number of monomers as well as details of the anomalous diffusion exhibited by the translocation coordinate will be given.