In-situ single DNA manipulation with φ20 nm electron-beam-deposited probe

Proposes a novel DNA-sequencing-preprocessing that can selectively extract a specific part of a single molecular DNA fiber by in-situ manipulation. The in-situ manipulation extends DNA fibers on a glass substrate, cuts into several DNA fragments, and isolates a specific DNA fragment. In this method full-time observation of the manipulation is provided for the purpose of keeping the information about where the isolated DNA fragment used to be located in the original DNA fiber. A hook-shaped φ20 nm probe was fabricated by electron-beam-deposition for isolating the DNA fragment. With this probe, the DNA fragment, extended on a water-repellent surface with its end anchored by Au colloid, was hooked and lifted up from the glass substrate; water-repellence has an effect of preventing adsorption between the DNA fragment and the glass substrate. Finally, the specific DNA fragment was successfully isolated onto a new clean glass substrate.