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Millimeter scale separation of DNA with a replaceable polymer matrix
Author(s) -
Manage Dammika P.,
Elliott Duncan G.,
Backhouse Christopher J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/elps.201200188
Subject(s) - microfluidics , microelectronics , electrophoresis , nanotechnology , matrix (chemical analysis) , computer science , millimeter , materials science , chromatography , chemistry , physics , optics
Electrophoresis is a powerful method that has seen a wide range of applications, often in automated genetic diagnostic instruments that require the use of a replaceable sieving matrix. The power and simplicity of electrophoresis as an analysis technique would be ideal for highly integrated and low‐cost analysis systems if the method could be implemented in microfluidics on the scale of several mm. We demonstrate the electrophoretic analysis of DNA with separation lengths as small as 2 mm and with a resolution adequate for the analysis of PCR products, i.e. resolutions of 10–20 base pairs. Such small‐scale separations enable analysis systems consisting of microfluidics and microelectronics integrated into a single inexpensive package, thereby overcoming a key challenge facing the development of the lab on chip technologies.