Open AccessCharacterisation of optically driven microstructures for manipulating single DNA molecules under a fluorescence microscope
Author(s) -
Terao Kyohei,
Masuda Chihiro,
Inukai Ryo,
Gel Murat,
Oana Hidehiro,
Washizu Masao,
Suzuki Takaaki,
Takao Hidekuni,
Shimokawa Fusao,
Oohira Fumikazu
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
iet nanobiotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1751-875X
DOI - 10.1049/iet-nbt.2015.0036
Subject(s) - microstructure , fluorescence microscope , microscope , materials science , optical tweezers , nanotechnology , optical microscope , microscopy , fluorescence , dna origami , fabrication , optics , scanning electron microscope , physics , nanostructure , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , metallurgy , composite material
Optical tweezers are powerful tools for manipulating single DNA molecules using fluorescence microscopy, particularly in nanotechnology‐based DNA analysis. We previously proposed a manipulation technique using microstructures driven by optical tweezers that allows the handling of single giant DNA molecules of millimetre length that cannot be manipulated by conventional techniques. To further develop this technique, the authors characterised the microstructures quantitatively from the view point of fabrication and efficiency of DNA manipulation under a fluorescence microscope. The success rate and precision of the fabrications were evaluated. The results indicate that the microstructures are obtained in an aqueous solution with a precision ∼50 nm at concentrations in the order of 10 6 particles/ml. The visibility of these microstructures under a fluorescence microscope was also characterised, along with the elucidation of the fabrication parameters needed to fine tune visibility. Manipulating yeast chromosomal DNA molecules with the microstructures illustrated the relationship between the efficiency of manipulation and the geometrical shape of the microstructure. This report provides the guidelines for designing microstructures used in single DNA molecule analysis based on on‐site DNA manipulation, and is expected to broaden the applications of this technique in the future.