title: Transverse imaging and simulation of dsDNA electrophoresis in microfabricated glass channels.
abstract: We have observed the non-uniform distribution of DNA molecules during PAGE in a microfabricated system. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to visualize fluorescently labeled DNA during electrophoretic migration. The distribution of double-stranded DNA larger than 100 bp is observed to transition from a center-biased motion on the transverse plane 1 cm downstream from injection to an edge-biased motion 2 cm downstream. Although this distribution increased with increasing dsDNA size in a cross-linked gel, no similar distribution was found with the same dsDNA molecules in a linear polyacrylamide solution (6%). Simulations of DNA distribution in gels suggest that DNA distribution non-uniformities may be caused by biased electrophoretic migration resulting from motion in an inhomogeneous gel system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Ramsey I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Zeitoun
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Burns
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D046209:Electrophoresis, Microchip / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004867:Equipment Design; D005898:Glass; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008962:Models, Theoretical
chemical_list: D004247:DNA