Direct observation of chain morphology of deoxyribonucleic acid adsorbed on a solid interface
Abstract
Understanding of polymer behavior at a solid interface is of pivotal importance to design and construct highly-functionalized polymer materials and devices. However, it is far away from a sufficient progress for a moment due to experimental difficulties to look at molecular events of a single chain. We here try to observe directly the chain morphology of lambda phage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a model system, adsorbed on a solid surface using atomic force microscopy (AFM). This DNA took a random coil conformation in a solution state and the radius of gyration (Rg) determined by small-angle X-ray scattering was 284 nm. AFM samples were prepared by incubating a DNA buffer solution on a substrate, mica disk, for a given time. AFM height image revealed that DNA chains adsorbed on the mica surface took Gauss conformation with an Rg of approximately 400 nm. A possible explanation for this chain expansion at the interface is that the chain was first immobilized on to the mica surface owing to the strong interaction. In presentation, we will discuss quantitatively the adsorption processes of DNA chains at the mica surface.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019APS..MARK54012M