title: Humidity dependence of charge transport through DNA revealed by silicon-based nanotweezers manipulation.
abstract: The study of the electrical properties of DNA has aroused increasing interest since the last decade. So far, controversial arguments have been put forward to explain the electrical charge transport through DNA. Our experiments on DNA bundles manipulated with silicon-based actuated tweezers demonstrate undoubtedly that humidity is the main factor affecting the electrical conduction in DNA. We explain the quasi-Ohmic behavior of DNA and the exponential dependence of its conductivity with relative humidity from the adsorption of water on the DNA backbone. We propose a quantitative model that is consistent with previous studies on DNA and other materials, like porous silicon, subjected to different humidity conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. christophe.yamahata@a3.epfl.ch
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yamahata
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Collard
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takekawa
authors.forename: Momoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumemura
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hashiguchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujita
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004579:Electron Transport; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006813:Humidity; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012825:Silicon; D055672:Static Electricity