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Manipulation and isolation of target biomolecules in a complex medium have gained special attention due to their central role in disease screening and diagnostics. Among many biomolecule manipulation methods, force-based dielectrophoresis (DEP) has been widely used to trap, separate, and manipulate a variety of nanoscale objects including proteins and cells suspended in the medium, based on either their size or polarizability. In principle, DEP techniques utilize the geometry of metal electrodes to create non-uniform electric fields, which induces motion of polarizable objects from the medium to regions of strong electric fields by either attracting (positive DEP) or repelling (negative DEP) them. The electrokinetic-driven, selective trapping and separating of target objects from the medium to the electrodes have been demonstrated previously using DNA, cancer cells, and bacteria along with microfluidic configurations.
Manipulation and isolation of target biomolecules in a complex medium have gained special attention due to their central role in disease screening and diagnostics. Among many biomolecule manipulation methods, force-based dielectrophoresis (DEP) has been widely used to trap, separate, and manipulate a variety of nanoscale objects including proteins and cells suspended in the medium, based on either their size or polarizability. In principle, DEP techniques utilize the geometry of metal electrodes to create non-uniform electric fields, which induces motion of polarizable objects from the medium to regions of strong electric fields by either attracting (positive DEP) or repelling (negative DEP) them. The electrokinetic-driven, selective trapping and separating of target objects from the medium to the electrodes have been demonstrated previously using DNA, cancer cells, and bacteria along with microfluidic configurations.
We have demonstrated insulator-based, electrodeless, mobile DEP tweezers (iDEP) that provide spatial control and manipulation of biomolecules. In this work, we used non-metal, unbiased tips that squeeze the electric field in the medium and create a strong, localized field and its gradients at the end of the tip. Thus, the tip acts like iDEP tweezers capable of three-dimensional trapping, placing, and releasing biomolecules such as DNA.
We have demonstrated insulator-based, electrodeless, mobile DEP tweezers (iDEP) that provide spatial control and manipulation of biomolecules. In this work, we used non-metal, unbiased tips that squeeze the electric field in the medium and create a strong, localized field and its gradients at the end of the tip. Thus, the tip acts like iDEP tweezers capable of three-dimensional trapping, placing, and releasing biomolecules such as DNA.
DEP acting on the nanoparicles: No AC bias between the electrodes; (b) low frequency AC fields (5V, 20kHz) attracts the nanoparticles to the electrodes (pDEP); and (c) highfrequency AC fields (5V, 2MHz), in contrast, repels the nanoparticles to the center of the electrodes (nDEP).
DEP acting on the nanoparicles: No AC bias between the electrodes; (b) low frequency AC fields (5V, 20kHz) attracts the nanoparticles to the electrodes (pDEP); and (c) highfrequency AC fields (5V, 2MHz), in contrast, repels the nanoparticles to the center of the electrodes (nDEP).
Spatial manipulation of DNA using the iDEP tweezers. The iDEP tweezers trap DNA, hold DNA while repositioning, and release them by turning of the applied AC voltage. The yellow arrow is 70 μm. All scale bars are 5 μm.
Spatial manipulation of DNA using the iDEP tweezers. The iDEP tweezers trap DNA, hold DNA while repositioning, and release them by turning of the applied AC voltage. The yellow arrow is 70 μm. All scale bars are 5 μm.
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