Nanomechanical detection of DNA melting on microcantilever surfaces

We observe surface stress changes in response to thermal dehybridization, or melting, of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) oligonucleotides that are grafted on one side of a microcantilever beam. Changes in surface stress occur when one complementary DNA strand melts and diffuses away from the other, resulting in alterations of the electrostatic, counterionic, and hydration interaction forces between the remaining neighboring surface-grafted DNA molecules. We have been able to distinguish changes in the melting temperature of dsDNA as a function of salt concentration and oligomer length. This technique also highlights differences between surface immobilized and solution DNA melting dynamics, which allows us to better understand the stability of DNA on surfaces. The transduction of phase transitions into a mechanical signal is ubiquitous for DNA, making cantilever-based detection a widely useful and complementary alternative to calorimetric and fluorescence measurements.