Cornell Researchers Use Light to Trap and Move DNA Molecules
David Ericson and Michal Lipson of Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) have a designed an optofluidic system that uses the pressure of light to move and manipulate biological molecules.
David Ericson and Michal Lipson of Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) have a designed an optofluidic system that uses the pressure of light to move and manipulate biological molecules. A new slot waveguide device created by Lipson that consisted of two parallel silicon bars spaced 60 nm apart served as two parallel waveguides and allowed a beam of light to be channeled through air or water. By placing the slot waveguide across a microscopic fluid channel, they were able to use infrared laser light to trap 75-nm polystyrene spheres and similarly sized DNA molecules from a stream of water flowing across it. According to the researchers, the device has the potential to separate biological molecules out of a stream and send them elsewhere for processing and possibly separate DNA molecules by length for sequencing.
Best of the Week: Food Analysis, Chemical Migration in Plastic Bottles, STEM Researcher of the Year
December 20th 2024Top articles published this week include the launch of our “From Lab to Table” content series, a Q&A interview about using liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS) to assess chemical hazards in plastic bottles, and a piece recognizing Brett Paull for being named Tasmanian STEM Researcher of the Year.
Using LC-MS/MS to Measure Testosterone in Dried Blood Spots
December 19th 2024Testosterone measurements are typically performed using serum or plasma, but this presents several logistical challenges, especially for sample collection, storage, and transport. In a recently published article, Yehudah Gruenstein of the University of Miami explored key insights gained from dried blood spot assay validation for testosterone measurement.
Determination of Pharmaceuticals by Capillary HPLC-MS/MS (Dec 2024)
December 19th 2024This application note demonstrates the use of a compact portable capillary liquid chromatograph, the Axcend Focus LC, coupled to an Agilent Ultivo triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical drugs in model aqueous samples.
