2005/08/20 by Ralf Metzler, Metzler, Ralf, Tobias Ambjoernsson +1
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #cond-mat.soft
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0508490
7 pages REVTeX, 7 eps figures. Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience, at press
arxiv created 2005/08/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
Based on modern single molecule techniques, we devise a number of possible experimental setups to probe local properties of DNA such as the presence of DNA-knots, loops or folds, or to obtain information on the DNA-sequence. Similarly, DNA may be used as a local sensor. Employing single molecule fluorescence methods, we propose to make use of the physics of DNA denaturation nanoregions to find out about the solvent conditions such as ionic strength, presence of binding proteins, etc. By measuring dynamical quantities in particular, rather sensitive nanoprobes may be constructed with contemporary instruments.