Skip to main content

An Inexpensive LED-Based Fluorometer Used to Study a Hairpin-Based DNA Nanomachine

  • Conference paper
DNA Computing (DNA 2004)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 3384))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

Fluorometers have become indispensable tools in the study of DNA-based nanomachines. The cost of such an instrument is usually outside the budget of a high school science department or that of an amateur scientist. This paper presents a low-cost fluorometer that can be assembled for the cost of approximately a hundred dollars. By monitoring Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) from the donor dye TET to the acceptor dye TAMRA, this fluorometer has been successfully used to follow the repeated opening and closing of a DNA hairpin nanomachine. This instrument makes possible the investigation of DNA-based nanotechnology or the performance of FRET-based molecular biology experiments within a high school setting.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Mao, C., Sun, W., Shen, Z., Seeman, N.C.: A nanomechanical device based on the B-Z transition of DNA. Nature 297, 144–146 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Yurke, B., Turberfield, A.J., Mills Jr., A.P., Simmel, F.C., Neumann, J.L.: A DNA-fuelled molecular machine made of DNA. Nature 406, 605–608 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Simmel, F.C., Yurke, B.: Using DNA to construct and power a nanoactuator. Phys. Rev. E 63 art. no. 041913 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Simmel, F.C., Yurke, B.: A DNA-based molecular device switchable between three distinct mechanical states. Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 883–885 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Yan, H., Zhang, X., Shen, Z., Seeman, N.C.: A robust DNA mechanical device controlled by hybridization topology. Nature 415, 62–65 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Li, J.J., Tan, W.: A single DNA molecular nanomotor. Nano Lett. 2, 315–318 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Turberfield, A.J., Yurke, B., Mills Jr., A.P., Blake, M.I., Mitchel, J.C., Simmel, F.C.: Hybridization catalysis: controlled power for nanomachines. Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, art. no. 118102 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Alberti, P., Mergny, J.-L.: DNA duplex-quadruples exchange as the basis for a nanomolecular machine. PNAS 100, 1569–1573 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Feng, L., Park, S.H., Reif, J.H., Yan, H.: A two-state DNA lattice switched by DNA nanoactuator. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 42, 4342–4346 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Niemeyer, C., Adler, M.: Nanomechanical Devices Based on DNA. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 41, 3779–3783 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jares-Erijman, E.A., Jovin, T.M.: FRET imaging. Nature Biotech. 21, 1387–1395 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Yan, H. (2005). An Inexpensive LED-Based Fluorometer Used to Study a Hairpin-Based DNA Nanomachine. In: Ferretti, C., Mauri, G., Zandron, C. (eds) DNA Computing. DNA 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3384. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11493785_35

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11493785_35

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-26174-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-31844-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics