Simple quantitative model for the reversible association of DNA coated colloids

We investigate the reversible association of micrometer-sized colloids coated with complementary single-stranded DNA "sticky ends" as a function of the temperature and the sticky end coverage. We find that even a qualitative description of the dissociation transition curves requires the in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2009-01, Vol.102 (4), p.048301-048301, Article 048301
Main Authors: Dreyfus, Rémi, Leunissen, Mirjam E, Sha, Roujie, Tkachenko, Alexei V, Seeman, Nadrian C, Pine, David J, Chaikin, Paul M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical Physics
Colloids - chemistry
DNA, Single-Stranded - chemistry
Models, Chemical
Nucleic Acid Hybridization
Physics
Polystyrenes - chemistry
Thermodynamics
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Summary:We investigate the reversible association of micrometer-sized colloids coated with complementary single-stranded DNA "sticky ends" as a function of the temperature and the sticky end coverage. We find that even a qualitative description of the dissociation transition curves requires the inclusion of an entropic cost. We develop a simple general model for this cost in terms of the configurational entropy loss due to binding and confinement of the tethered DNA between neighboring particles. With this easy-to-use model, we demonstrate for different kinds of DNA constructs quantitative control over the dissociation temperature and the sharpness of the dissociation curve, both essential properties for complex self-assembly processes.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.102.048301