Electrophoresis and microlithography

Sizing of DNA molecules by gel electrophoresis is a vital tool of molecular biology. Electrophoresis is a complicated phenomenon, and current theories do not predict practical ways to separate molecules longer than about 10 megabasepairs (mb). Gels are complicated, random structures, which is one reason electrophoresis is difficult to describe theoretically. Using microfabrication techniques developed by the semi-conductor industry, we have created simple, regular structures with which to study electrophoresis