Tilted brownian ratchet for DNA analysis

Anal Chem. 2003 Dec 15;75(24):6963-7. doi: 10.1021/ac0348524.

Abstract

In this paper, we report a factor of 3 improvement in the resolution and a factor of 10 improvement in the speed of fractionation of approximately 100-kb DNA molecules in Brownian ratchet arrays. In our device, the electrophoretic flow is tilted at a small angle relative to the array axis. Tilting accelerates the fractionation speed because a higher fraction of the diffusing molecules is "ratcheted" at each step in the array. Molecules of lengths 48.5 and 164 kb can be separated in approximately 70 min with a resolution of approximately 3.8, using a 12-mm-long array. The Brownian ratchet arrays are not limited to DNA separation, but can, in principle, be used for any particle in this size range.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Chemistry, Physical
  • DNA / analysis*
  • DNA / chemistry
  • Diffusion
  • Electrophoresis / instrumentation
  • Electrophoresis / methods
  • Fluorescence
  • Particle Size

Substances

  • DNA