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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Probing mRNA Kinetics in Space and Time in Escherichia coli using Two-Color Single-Molecule Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Published on: July 30, 2020
Selective probing of mRNA expression levels within a living cell
Abstract:
We report on a selective and nondestructive measurement of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) expression levels within a living cell. We first modify an atomic force microscope tip to create a tapered nanoscale coaxial cable. Application of an ac (alternating potential) between the inner and outer electrodes of this cable creates a dielectrophoretic force attracting mRNA molecules toward the tip-end which is pretreated with gene specific primers. We selectively extracted and analyzed both high ( approximately 2500) and extremely low (11 0) copy number mRNA from a living cell mRNA in less than 10 s.
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