title: Confinement spectroscopy: probing single DNA molecules with tapered nanochannels.
abstract: We demonstrate a confinement spectroscopy technique capable of probing small conformational changes of unanchored single DNA molecules in a manner analogous to force spectroscopy, in the regime corresponding to femtonewton forces. In contrast to force spectroscopy, various structural forms of DNA can easily be probed, as indicated by experiments on linear and circular DNA. The extension of circular DNA is found to scale according to the de Gennes exponent, unlike for linear DNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Nanotech, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Utko
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reisner
authors.forename: Niels B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kristensen
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D015342:DNA Probes; D036103:Nanotechnology; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004247:DNA