Size-dependent trajectories of DNA macromolecules due to insulative dielectrophoresis in submicrometer-deep fluidic channels.
In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time that insulative dielectrophoresis can induce size-dependent trajectories of DNA macromolecules. We experimentally use lambda (48.5 kbp) and T4GT7 (165.6 kbp) DNA molecules flowing continuously around a sharp corner inside fluidic channels with a depth of 0.4 mum. Numerical simulation of the electrokinetic force distribution inside the channels is in qualitative agreement with our experimentally observed trajectories. We discuss a possible physical mechanism for the DNA polarization and dielectrophoresis inside confining channels, based on the observed dielectrophoresis responses due to different DNA sizes and various electric fields applied between the inlet and the outlet. The proposed physical mechanism indicates that further extensive investigations, both theoretically and experimentally, would be very useful to better elucidate the forces involved at DNA dielectrophoresis. When applied for size-based sorting of DNA molecules, our sorting method offers two major advantages compared to earlier attempts with insulative dielectrophoresis: Its continuous operation allows for high-throughput analysis, and it only requires electric field strengths as low as approximately 10 Vcm.
Parikesit
Gea O F
GO
Markesteijn
Anton P
AP
Piciu
Oana M
OM
Bossche
Andre
A
Westerweel
Jerry
J
Young
Ian T
IT
Garini
Yuval
Y
Lab Chip. 2004 Aug;4(4):372-7
15269807
J Nanobiotechnology. 2006 Nov 20;4:12
17116262
Anal Chem. 2003 Sep 15;75(18):4724-31
14674447
Lab Chip. 2006 Jan;6(1):19-23
16372065
Anal Chem. 2007 May 15;79(10):3925-32
17444613
Lab Chip. 2005 Oct;5(10):1067-74
16175262
Biophys J. 2002 Oct;83(4):2170-9
12324434
Anal Chem. 2007 Nov 1;79(21):8316-22
17883279
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000 Sep 7;1493(1-2):151-8
10978517
Anal Chem. 2006 Feb 15;78(4):1357-62
16478134
Anal Chem. 2005 Nov 1;77(21):6782-9
16255574
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 May 15;88(10):4468-71
2034684
Phys Rev Lett. 2005 May 20;94(19):196101
16090189
Nano Lett. 2007 May;7(5):1270-5
17439185
Biophys Chem. 1997 Jun 30;66(2-3):241-57
17029877
Biomed Microdevices. 2008 Apr;10(2):243-9
17899384