NER: A Novel Concept of Electrophoretic Separation of Long DNA Molecules with High Resolution at the Nanoscale Dimensions

Suny At Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract CTS-0103470 NER: A Novel Concept for Electrophoretic Separation of Long DNA Molecules with High Resolution at Nanoscale Dimensions. Vladimir A. Samuilov and Dilip Gersappe State University of New York Stony Brook The recent advances in molecular biology rely on improved techniques for the separation of long (multi-kilobasepairs and megabasepairs) DNA molecules. Current methods employ electrophoresis of DNA molecules in different sieving matrixes, such as junction points in a gel and the entanglements in polymer solutions. Separation of DNA by size, in particular, is at the heart of genome mapping and sequencing and is likely to play an increasing role in diagnosis. There have been important advances in fast-developing and innovative technology like elechophoresis on microchips. In the implementation of micro-fabricated systems for electrophoresis based on silicon technology, the interaction of DNA molecules with the surfaces of the devices should be taken into account in analyzing the mechanisms of the separation. This research introduces a novel approach to the liquid-solid interface as the separation medium and to the mechanism of electrophoresis itself at nanoscale dimensions. Also, a new concept of loading of the DNA sample onto a microchip is considered. Specifically the study considers the electrical transport properties of long DNA molecules at a flat liquid-semiconductor interface. One-dimensional positioning of DNA molecules on a silicon surface is accomplished by a simple physical alignment process using capillary forces applied by the receding front of an evaporating drop containing DNA molecules. A diblock-copolymer system, self-assembled with L-B technique, is used to produce patterns at the nanometer length scale, which are used as a template for introducing metal nanopatterns on semiconductor surfaces to serve as DNA separation media. Success in this effort will make possible more rapid and more precise DNA analyses for a variety of applications and provide an important new tool for genetic analyses.