Atomic force microscopy observation of deoxyribonucleic acid stretched andanchored onto aluminum electrodes

We have demonstrated that the electrostatic stretch-and-positioning of Deox yribonucleic Acid (DNA) is useful for the analysis of a long DNA molecule b y means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Using a pair of aluminum electrod es patterned on a glass plate, DNA molecules were stretched parallel to the field line, and immobilized onto the electrodes. Through AFM observation o f avidin-labeled DNA. We confirmed the immobilization of individual DNA mol ecules, not aggregates.