Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting is part of the Nanopore Wiki learning path. Troubleshooting nanopore work means connecting visible symptoms to pore state, sample quality, electronics, buffer chemistry, and analysis choices.
Core concepts
- Baseline drift often indicates temperature, electrode, membrane, surface, or flow problems.
- Sudden current jumps can indicate membrane rupture, pore changes, bubbles, or contamination.
- Decreasing event frequency may reflect depletion, clogging, adsorption, or pore inactivation.
- Analysis can reveal problems but should not be used to hide experimental instability.
Diagnostic workflow
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Separate blank baseline, pore baseline, and sample recording phases. |
| 2 | Check noise, drift, and current level before interpreting events. |
| 3 | Compare sample traces with negative controls and repeat runs. |
| 4 | Document failed runs and suspected causes. |
Typical applications
- Laboratory SOP improvement.
- Field sequencing reliability.
- Training and quality control.
Common pitfalls
- Changing multiple variables at once.
- Assuming every blockage is target binding.
- Discarding failed traces without learning from them.