DNA transport by a micromachined Brownian ratchet device.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 10557291.
- Also identified by PMC identifier 23918.
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Abstract
We have micromachined a silicon-chip device that transports DNA with a Brownian ratchet that rectifies the Brownian motion of microscopic particles. Transport properties for a DNA 50-mer agree with theoretical predictions, and the DNA diffusion constant agrees with previous experiments. This type of micromachine could provide a generic pump or separation component for DNA or other charged species as part of a microscale lab-on-a-chip. A device with reduced feature size could produce a size-based separation of DNA molecules, with applications including the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms.
Medical subject headings
- DNA