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Transverse migration and microfluidic concentration of DNA using Newtonian buffers
Ryan J Montes1, Anthony J C Ladd1, Jason E Butler1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
Biomicrofluidics
|January 2, 2020
Summary
Electrohydrodynamic coupling concentrates DNA in microfluidic channels. High ion concentrations impede this DNA trapping, suggesting electrohydrodynamic migration is key, not viscoelasticity.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Microfluidics
- Electrokinetics
Background:
- DNA manipulation in microfluidic devices is crucial for molecular biology applications.
- Understanding the forces governing DNA behavior in microchannels is essential for optimizing these techniques.
- Previous studies have explored various methods for DNA concentration, including those relying on viscoelastic effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the concentration of DNA using electrohydrodynamic coupling in a microfluidic channel.
- To quantify the impact of buffer properties, specifically ion and polymer concentrations, on DNA trapping efficiency.
- To differentiate between electrohydrodynamic and viscoelastic mechanisms in DNA concentration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a microfluidic channel to create a pressure-driven flow parallel to an electric field.
- Systematically varied ion and polymer concentrations in the buffer solutions.
- Quantified DNA concentration rates and trapping efficiency using experimental measurements.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated DNA concentration via electrohydrodynamic coupling between flow and electric field.
- Observed that high ion concentrations significantly reduced DNA trapping efficiency, from nearly 100% to zero.
- Successfully trapped DNA in microfluidic channels even without measurable buffer viscoelasticity.
Conclusions:
- Electrohydrodynamic migration is the primary mechanism driving DNA concentration in this setup.
- Viscoelastic effects do not appear to play a significant role in the observed DNA concentration.
- The findings provide insights into optimizing DNA manipulation in microfluidic systems by controlling buffer ionic strength.
