CNRS/ENS will provide a demonstration of how force spectroscopy might be used to determine DNA sequence, or DNA mismatches in substrate DNA.

Outcomes:

We have built a combined magnetic/optical tweezers, but we have not used it to actually attempt the sequencing of DNA. Due to recent theoretical (Lubensky and Nelson, Phys.Rev.E65,031917(2002)) and experimental (Danilowicz et al., PNAS,100, 1694 (2003)) results, it appears that the unzipping of DNA at constant force, exhibits multiple metastable intermediates that makes its sequencing by that technique a very challenging task, with little chance of success. Consequently, we have decided not to pursue that goal.

Deliverable terminated.