Editorial note for the special topic on ＂Nanopore Analysis＂

The concept of nanopore analysis, using the pore-forming protein a-hemolysin to detect individual nucleic acids at a single-molecule level, was first proposed in 1996. Over the past two decades, tremendous progress has been made in the nanopore field, and nanopore analysis has become a label-free and high-throughput method for probing bio- molecules and other analytes with single-molecule sensi- tivity, especially holds the promising for ＂third generation＂ DNA sequencing. However, challenges still remain in the experimental strategies and the design of whole nanopore-based instruments. Here, we proudly present a special topic dedicated to the topic of ＂Nanopore Analysis＂, with 8 reviews/articles providing up to date coverage of the experimental strategies, theoretical calcu- lations and simulations, and instrument design. Reviews and articles on the experimental strategies cover control of DNA partitioning into a nanopore, detection of target DNA, and the advantages of nanopore-based DNA sequencing. The theoretical calculations and simulations discuss the translocation behavior of DNA, and an inte- grated measurement system and data analysis software are presented for instrument design.

Editorial note for the special topic on “Nanopore Analysis”