Millimeter scale separation of DNA with a replaceable polymer matrix

Abstract

Electrophoresis is a powerful method that has seen a wide range of applications, often in automated genetic diagnostic instruments that require the use of a replaceable sieving matrix. The power and simplicity of electrophoresis as an analysis technique would be ideal for highly integrated and low-cost analysis systems if the method could be implemented in microfluidics on the scale of several mm. We demonstrate the electrophoretic analysis of DNA with separation lengths as small as 2 mm and with a resolution adequate for the analysis of PCR products, i.e. resolutions of 10-20 base pairs. Such small-scale separations enable analysis systems consisting of microfluidics and microelectronics integrated into a single inexpensive package, thereby overcoming a key challenge facing the development of the lab on chip technologies.