Passive Entry of a DNA Molecule into a Small Pore

I consider a vesicle with an open pore of small radius rp, exposed to a DNA solution. The crucial moment is the entry, when a chain end faces the pore and enters it. I discuss qualitatively the following three characteristic times: (i) the duration of the entry of one chain end (defining the minimum lifetime of the pore) τ e∼ 10-4 sec, (ii) the transfection time τ t (the time required to be sure that one chain has gone in) τ t∼ hours, and (iii) the sliding time τ S (the time between entry of one end and entry of the other end) ∼ 1 sec. A fortunate feature is that sliding may proceed even if the pore tends to close itself after entry.