Stretching of single DNA molecules under pressure-driven flow in straight and curved microfluidic channels

Abstract

Microfluidic channels are investigated here with a view to unravel and deliver long genomic DNA strands (>20µm) into channels for subsequent optical interrogation. Previous studies have focused on devices where strands are stretched under sudden shear and elongational microflows, but unfortunately there is a potential for strand fragmentation. We investigate differently shaped microchannels to deliver intact strands for subsequent genome mapping