On the possibility of biopolymer fragment analysis by tunneling microscopy

Images of the sequence of fragments of a biopolymer molecule have been obtained using scanning tunneling microscopy under native conditions (air atmosphere) with bacterial DNA as the model object. Air adsorbate (mostly formed by water vapors) coating the molecules increases the local tunnel conductivity; selective adsorption indirectly reflects the local conductivity of the fragments composed by different atoms in different sequences and contributes to their tunnel conductivity. Figurative images of the fragments with enhanced topographic features have been obtained by processing of the experimental data; these images can be used for subsequent identification of the fragments.