title: Plasmonic imaging and detection of single DNA molecules.
abstract: The capability of imaging and detecting single DNA molecules is critical in the study, analysis, and applications of DNA. Fluorescence imaging is a widely used method, but it suffers from blinking and photobleaching, and fluorescence tags may block or affect binding sites on DNA. We report on label-free imaging of single DNA molecules with a differential plasmonic imaging technique. The technique produces high contrast images due to the scattering of surface plasmonic waves by the molecules and the removal of background noises and interference patterns, allowing for quantitative analysis of individual DNA molecules. Simulation of the images based on a scattering model shows good agreement with the experiment. We further demonstrate optical mapping of single DNA molecules.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiaonan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Shaopeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hongyuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nongjian
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA