Jendrejack R.M., de Pablo J.J., Graham M.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, US
Keywords: Brownian dynamics, DNA, hydrodynamic, interactions, microfluidic, polymer solutions
Simple arguments predict that the dynamics of a dissolved macromolecule confined to a channel comparable to its equilibrium coi size (~1 um for viral DNA) are quite different from those in free solution, because of the no-slip boundary condition on the fluid motion. Nevertheless, detailed, predictive computations have not been previously performed. We have incorporated a Brownian dynamics model of DNA into a fully self-consistent computational scheme that simultaneously resolves the macromolecular and fluid (i.e. solvent) dynamics of DNA in a microfluidics channel. The key novel feature of this scheme is the numerical computation of the Green’s function for the flow problem, enabling a stochastic solution method that incorporates detailed hydrodynamics and respects the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. With this methodology we study a number of important confinement effects, focusing here on the retardation of relaxation of a chain in small channel.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 2, Technical Proceedings of the 2002 International Conference on Computational Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Published: April 22, 2002
Pages: 111 - 114
Industry sector: Sensors, MEMS, Electronics
Topic: Micro & Bio Fluidics, Lab-on-Chip
ISBN: 0-9708275-6-3