Liquid metal electrodynamic accumulation microfluidics system for DNA memory and liquid biopsy

Abstract

This study presents a liquid metal electrodynamic accumulation microfluidic (LEAM) device that effectively controls DNA dynamics using liquid metal (LM) electrodes and an applied electric field. The characteristics of LM in LEAM include electrochemical attack, and LM properties and behavior at high voltages. The findings demonstrate the ability of the LEAM system to control DNA dynamics and thermodynamics. Short-sequence single stranded DNA (ssDNA) hybridization and displacement are performed using an exchange buffer solution. By scaling up the LEAM system for a droplet-based approach, discrete manipulation of DNA samples is achieved. A three-bit molecular ssDNA memory system using a molecular beacon system is demonstrated, and its application is extended as a diagnostic tool for detecting gene molecules such as micro-RNA. This study highlights the potential of the LEAM system for use in various biomedical and biotechnological applications, owing to its effective handling of biomolecules.