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Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Magnetic Tweezers for the Measurement of Twist and Torque
Published on: May 19, 2014
Horizontal magnetic tweezers and its applications in single molecule micromanipulation experiments
Santosh Gaire1, Rajendra Bhandari1, Ian Pegg1
1Department of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, United States; Vitreous State Laboratory, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, United States.
Abstract:
Magnetic tweezers (MTs) have become indispensable tools for gaining mechanistic insights into the behavior of DNA-processing enzymes and acquiring detailed, high-resolution data on the mechanical properties of DNA. Currently, MTs have two distinct designs: vertical and horizontal (or transverse) configurations. While the vertical design and its applications have been extensively documented, there is a noticeable gap in comprehensive information pertaining to the design details, experimental procedures, and types of studies conducted with horizontal MTs. This article aims to address this gap by providing a concise overview of the fundamental principles underlying transverse MTs. It will explore the multifaceted applications of this technique as an exceptional instrument for scrutinizing DNA and its interactions with DNA-binding proteins at the single-molecule level.
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