title: DNA Brushing Shoulders: Targeted Looping and Scanning of Large DNA Strands.
abstract: We present a nanofluidic device for targeted manipulations in the quarternary structure of single DNA molecules. We demonstrate the folding and unfolding of hairpin-shaped regions, similar to chromatin loops. These loops are stable for minutes at nanochannel junctions. We demonstrate continuous scanning of two DNA segments that occupy a common nanovolume. We present a model governing the stability of loop folds and discuss how the system achieves specific DNA configurations without operator intervention.
authors.affiliation: NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States.
authors.forename: Zubair
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Azad
authors.affiliation: NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States.
authors.forename: Maedeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roushan
authors.affiliation: NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riehn
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004867:Equipment Design; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA; DNA loops; Nanofluidics; fluorescence microscopy; nanoconfinement; single-molecule