Molecular rheotaxis directs DNA migration and concentration against a pressure-driven flow

In-line preconcentration techniques are used to improve the sensitivity of microfluidic DNA analysis platforms. The most common methods are electrokinetic and require an externally applied electric field. Here we describe a microfluidic DNA preconcentration technique that does not require an externa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2017-10, Vol.8 (1), p.1213-10, Article 1213
Main Authors: Friedrich, Sarah M., Burke, Jeffrey M., Liu, Kelvin J., Ivory, Cornelius F., Wang, Tza-Huei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Computer simulation
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Electrokinetics
External pressure
Fluid flow
Humanities and Social Sciences
Ionic strength
Kinetics
Mathematical models
Microfluidics
Migration
multidisciplinary
Pressure
Rheotaxis
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sensitivity analysis
Simulation
Size separation
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Summary:In-line preconcentration techniques are used to improve the sensitivity of microfluidic DNA analysis platforms. The most common methods are electrokinetic and require an externally applied electric field. Here we describe a microfluidic DNA preconcentration technique that does not require an external field. Instead, pressure-driven flow from a fluid-filled microcapillary into a lower ionic strength DNA sample reservoir induces spontaneous DNA migration against the direction of flow. This migratory phenomenon that we call Molecular Rheotaxis initiates in seconds and results in a concentrated DNA bolus at the capillary orifice. We demonstrate the ease with which this concentration method can be integrated into a microfluidic total analysis system composed of in-line DNA preconcentration, size separation, and single-molecule detection. Paired experimental and numerical simulation results are used to delineate the parameters required to induce Molecular Rheotaxis, elucidate the underlying mechanism, and optimize conditions to achieve DNA concentration factors exceeding 10,000 fold. Implementing a nucleic acid preconcentration method can improve the sensitivity of microfluidic analysis systems. Here Friedrich et al. concentrate DNA by many orders of magnitude using pressure-driven flow, which could lead to a simple and practical microanalysis platform.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-017-01214-y