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A Droplet-Based Microfluidic Approach and Microsphere-PCR Amplification for Single-Stranded DNA Amplicons
Published on: November 14, 2018
Nanostructured copolymer gels for dsDNA separation by CE.
Fen Wan1, Jun Zhang, Angela Lau
1Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3400, USA.
Electrophoresis
|December 5, 2008
Summary
Pluronic F127 gels form ordered nanostructures for DNA separation in microchip electrophoresis. These gels efficiently separated DNA fragments, demonstrating potential for advanced molecular diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Nanotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Pluronics are amphiphilic triblock copolymers with tunable self-assembly properties.
- Ordered nanostructures formed by Pluronics can serve as sieving matrices.
- Microchip electrophoresis requires advanced separation media for efficient DNA analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of Pluronic F127 nanostructures as media for DNA separation.
- To evaluate the sieving performance of different Pluronic F127 nanostructures in capillary electrophoresis (CE).
- To explore the potential of these gels in microchip electrophoresis applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a ternary system of F127 (poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)), TBE buffer, and 1-butanol.
- Characterized nanostructures and lattice constants using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).
- Assessed sol-gel transition phenomena via viscosity measurements and performed DNA separations using CE.
Main Results:
- Achieved successful electrophoretic separation of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) using Pluronic F127 gels with cubic and 2-D hexagonal nanostructures.
- Demonstrated efficient separation of PhiX174 DNA-Hae III digest within 15 min in a 7-cm channel using a 2-D hexagonal F127 gel.
- Observed dynamic coating and viscosity switching properties beneficial for CE.
Conclusions:
- Pluronic F127-based nanostructured gels are effective media for dsDNA separation in CE.
- The 2-D hexagonal phase exhibits promising sieving capabilities for DNA analysis.
- These findings highlight the potential of Pluronic gels for advanced microchip electrophoresis applications.
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