关键词：芯片；奈米流体；DNA芯片
摘 要：In this project we have investigated the potential of nanofluidic lab-on-chip technology to be used as platforms for free-flow separation, concentration, and identification of biomolecules. Specifically, the goals of this project have been to: 1) demonstrate Field Amplified Sample Stacking (FASS) for specific DNA samples, and 2) demonstrate identification of target single stranded DNA (ssDNA) from a complex mixture of DNA, containing strands of different composition and size. We have achieved both goals and, in some cases, expanded the investigation from the original tasks. The results of our studies, elaborated in the following sections, suggest that lab-on-chip nanofluidic platforms may enable rapid and inexpensive, characterization and analysis of DNA biomarkers. Advantages include overall ease of operation of the device, which does not require loading of gels as sieving matrices; inexpensive analysis, as the only reagents required are water-based buffers; fast identification, since sample signatures can be produced in the order of less than a minute. Findings from this work have resulted in peer-reviewed publications (one conference and one journal paper). Potential target applications of our identification platform include analysis of DNA biomarkers for environmental pollutants or early disease diagnosis: analysis of mitochondrial DNA for forensic identification: investigation of protein kinetics.