title: Continuous separation of biomolecules by the laterally asymmetric diffusion array with out-of-plane sample injection.
abstract: The laterally asymmetric diffusion array, a biomolecule sorting device, was used to continuously separate a mixture of T2 and T7 coliphage DNA molecules into its constituents. A two-dimensional array of obstacles (in the presence of an average flow v) can be used to rectify the Brownian motion of particles (in this case DNA molecules) so that they diffuse preferentially in one direction, and perpendicular to the direction of the applied field (in this case an electric field). This type of device had not yet been used for actual fractionation of biomolecules, due to difficulties in injection of the sample. Here we show that with a new injection strategy a well-defined, narrow and continuous stream of molecules can be injected into the separation channel, thus enabling this separation technique to be used in a working device. We expect this type of device could now be employed for separation of a variety of different biomolecules, ranging from long dsDNA to small proteins.
authors.affiliation: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. hgc1@cornell.edu
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabodi
authors.forename: Yi-Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Stephen W P
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Harold G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Craighead
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Austin
mesh_terms: D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000235:genetics; D017123:Bacteriophage T7 / Q000235:genetics; D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004058:Diffusion; D004867:Equipment Design; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D008904:Miniaturization
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral