DNA migration and separation on surfaces with a microscale dielectrophoretic trap array

We studied the surface migration of DNA chains driven by a dc electric field across localized dielectrophoretic traps. By adjusting the length scale of the trap array, separation of a selected band of DNA was accomplished with a scaling exponent between mobility and number of base pairs similar to that obtained in capillary electrophoresis. We then provided a model, which predicts the trapping and extension of DNA chains at a dielectrophoretic trap responsible for the surface mobility and separation.