Microtechnique used for DNA manipulation

A new device has made microtechnique news owing to its ability to manipulate and measure DNA.

The novel microfluidic technology, called the nanoslinky, has been developed by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and could be used for measuring DNA and nonoscale technologies. It measures at around ten million times smaller than the popular spring-shaped toy currently in use.

Nanoslinky uses a staircase-shaped nanoscale fluidic channel that is able to control otherwise random drift of DNA through a fluid. The DNA falls down the stairs much like a slinky toy, diffusing randomly across the step and increasing its entropy the further down it falls.

Samuel Stavis, part of the team of researchers at the NIST said: “Control over the behaviour of a DNA molecule is built into the staircase structure.

"After placing the molecule on the top step (by driving the DNA strand up the staircase with an electric field), no external forces are needed to make it move. The staircase is a passive nanofluidic technology that automates complex manipulations and measurements of DNA."

Posted by Fiona Griffiths