Individually Resolved DNA Molecules Stretched and Embedded in Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers

Abstract

We have used the flow characteristics of an electrospinning jet to elongate and fix DNA molecules. We embedded and observed fluorescently labeled lambda bacteriophage DNA molecules in polyethylene oxide nanofibers. The embedded DNA molecules were imaged using fluorescence microscopy and found to be stretched to lengths approaching the full dyed contour length.