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DNA transport by a micromachined Brownian ratchet device

Joel S. Bader·Richard W. Hammond·Steven A. Henck·Michael W. Deem·Gregory A. McDermott·James M. Bustillo·John W. Simpson·Gregory T. Mulhern·Jonathan M. Rothberg
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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 50mer 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.

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BibTeXRIS

Joel S. Bader, Richard W. Hammond, Steven A. Henck, Michael W. Deem, Gregory A. McDermott, James M. Bustillo, John W. Simpson, Gregory T. Mulhern, Jonathan M. Rothberg. 1999-12-22. DNA transport by a micromachined Brownian ratchet device. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.96.23.13165

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