DNA kinetics in microfabricated devices

The DNA kinetics in micro-capillary electrophoresis is presented. The mobility and diffusion coefficient of 14bp-DNA fragments as a function of concentration in two types of separation sieving matrices, hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) polymer solution and agarose gel, are extracted through a series of experiments performed in microfabricated devices. In addition, the motion of a DNA plug through a miter bend and splitting a plug in a branch are quantitatively characterized. The concept of equivalent length is introduced to quantify the effect of a bend on the DNA plug motion. In a branching system, a simple kinematic relationship was discovered relating the quantity of DNA in each downstream branch to its relative channel cross-sectional area