Abstract
When DNA is confined in a structure with dimension below the polymer’s free solution radius of gyration, the confining geometry will alter the DNA molecule’s conformation. Nanochannel structures are used to stretch out single DNA molecules, creating a linear extension of the genome along the channel for analysis. We have developed a novel nanochannel fabrication technique by using simple processes, including general MEMS operations and deformation of thin PDMS film. With these devices, we present measurements of DNA extended in nanochannels via fluorescence microscopy, and show that there are two different regimes with varying the device dimensions, which were previously predicted through the theories in polymer physics. [This abstract is not included in the PDF]
