Title: Jan F Simons - Innovator in Nanopore Sequencing Technologies.
Introduction: Jan F Simons is an inventor based in South San Francisco, CA (US). He is currently associated with Quantapore, Inc. Simons has made significant contributions to the field of nanopore sequencing, focusing on methods for analyzing polynucleotides.
Latest Patent Applications: Jan F Simons has filed several notable patent applications. One of his latest applications is titled "TWO-COLOR NANOPORE SEQUENCING." This invention is directed to methods for analyzing polymers comprising linear chains of at least two types of monomers, such as polynucleotides, including DNA and RNA, using nanopores and optical detection. In some embodiments, as few as two different kinds of nucleotide are labeled with different optical labels that generate distinguishable optical signals for the selected kinds of nucleotide in both sense strands and antisense strands of target polynucleotides. Labeled strands are translocated through nanopores where nucleotides of the strands are constrained to pass sequentially through an optical detection region, generating a sequence of optical signals that make up an optical signature. In some embodiments, information from optical signatures from both sense and antisense strands are combined to determine complete nucleotide sequences of target polynucleotides. Another application is titled "METHOD OF TRANSLOCATING NUCLEIC ACIDS THROUGH NANOPORES." This invention provides methods for analyzing polynucleotides using nanopores that allow the passage of single-stranded polynucleotides but not double-stranded polynucleotides. In accordance with some embodiments, a double-stranded product is produced that comprises a labeled strand with a single-stranded tail or overhang. The double-stranded product is exposed to one or more nanopores in the presence of an electric field across the nanopores, allowing the single-stranded tail to be captured and the labeled strand to be translocated by unzipping from the double-stranded product. The ionic composition of the reaction mixture and electric field strength are selected so that nucleotides translocate a nanopore at a rate of less than 1000 nucleotides per second.
Conclusion: Jan F Simons is a dedicated inventor whose work in nanopore sequencing technologies holds promise for advancements in genetic analysis. His innovative approaches are paving the way for future developments in the field.