SINGLE-MOLECULE DNA SEQUENCING WITH FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON NANOTUBE PROBES

摘要

A single molecule of DNA is denatured and immobilized on an atomically flat substrate, and a carbon nanotube force probe functionalized with a nucleotide is scanned along the molecule to detect locations of the probe nucleotide's complement. Discussion is offered regarding the preparation of single-walled carbon nanotube AFM probes and their chemical attachment of DNA nucleotides. Additionally, a model of the oscillating cantilever under the influence of an arbitrary tip force is reviewed and it is shown that attractive forces are measured as a decrease in the cantilever phase, relative to its driving signal. Finally, single-stranded DNA of a known sequence is scanned with a thymine-functionalized carbon nanotube force probe.