Molecular threading: mechanical extraction, stretching and placement of DNA molecules from a liquid-air interface.
We present "molecular threading", a surface independent tip-based method for stretching and depositing single and double-stranded DNA molecules. DNA is stretched into air at a liquid-air interface, and can be subsequently deposited onto a dry substrate isolated from solution. The design of an apparatus used for molecular threading is presented, and fluorescence and electron microscopies are used to characterize the angular distribution, straightness, and reproducibility of stretched DNA deposited in arrays onto elastomeric surfaces and thin membranes. Molecular threading demonstrates high straightness and uniformity over length scales from nanometers to micrometers, and represents an alternative to existing DNA deposition and linearization methods. These results point towards scalable and high-throughput precision manipulation of single-molecule polymers.
Wyss Institute, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Andrew C
AC
Payne
Michael
M
Andregg
Kent
K
Kemmish
Mark
M
Hamalainen
Charlotte
C
Bowell
Andrew
A
Bleloch
Nathan
N
Klejwa
Wolfgang
W
Lehrach
Ken
K
Schatz
Heather
H
Stark
Adam
A
Marblestone
George
G
Church
Christopher S
CS
Own
William
W
Andregg
D000388:Air; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013672:Technology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D012996:Solutions; D004247:DNA