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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 91 » Issue 3
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 038102 (2003) [4 pages]

DNA Dynamics in a Microchannel

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Richard M. Jendrejack1,*, Eileen T. Dimalanta2, David C. Schwartz2, Michael D. Graham1,†, and Juan J. de Pablo1,‡
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
2Department of Chemistry and Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA

Received 24 January 2003; published 15 July 2003

An extended Brownian dynamics simulation method is used to characterize the dynamics of long DNA molecules flowing in microchannels. The relaxation time increases due to confinement in agreement with scaling predictions. During flow the molecules migrate toward the channel center line, and thereby segregate according to molecular weight. Capturing these effects requires the detailed incorporation of solvent flow in the simulation method, demonstrating the importance of hydrodynamic effects in the dynamics of confined macromolecules.

© 2003 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.038102
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.038102
PACS:
87.14.Gg, 83.10.Mj, 83.50.Ha, 47.11.+j

*Permanent address: 3M Corporation, St. Paul, MN 55144-1000, USA.

†Electronic address: graham@engr.wisc.edu

‡Electronic address: depablo@engr.wisc.edu

 
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