DNA 長度的量測在生物領域中是項非常重要的技術。例如DNA 指紋鑑定(DNA fingerprinting)、 限制酶定位法(restriction mapping)、流行病學基因分型 (epidemiological genotyping)、次世代定序(next-generation sequencing)等等的生物 技術中，都需要量測DNA 之長度。最傳統的DNA 長度量測方式為凝膠電泳法(Gel electrophoresis)。然而此方法只適用於量測長度50 kbps 以下之DNA。對於50 kbps 以上之DNA，則需要藉由週期性改變電場方向的方式，也就是脈衝場凝膠電泳法(Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis)，來完成DNA 長度的量測。然而脈衝場凝膠電泳的量測時間 需要數小時至數天。此篇論文將展示一種新的DNA 長度量測技術。此技術結合奈米流道生物晶片以及單分子數位影像分析，目前已經可以於10~60 分鐘，量測長度最長 100 kbps左右之DNA。未來此技術將有潛力達到於30 分鐘內，量測1000 kbps 長度以上之DNA。;DNA sizing is one of the most crucial processes in molecular biology. It is important for processes in DNA fingerprinting, restriction mapping , epidemiological genotyping, and the growing utility of next-generation sequencing. In the past decades, DNA gel electrophporesis has been the main tool at lab-bench to separateDNA fragments; however, challenges persist when sizing DNA molecules up to 50 kbp. Although pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) can separate long DNA fragments up to mega-base pairs by the periodic change of the electric field direction, PFGE usually lasts from hours to days. Here, we provide a simple single-molecule based DNA profiling device and methodology with designated algorithm to achieve an ultrafast size profiling. Samples up to 100 kbp DNA molecules were efficiently sized into bands from 10 to 60 minutes. Our results establish the ability, far beyond the conventional gel electrophoresis, for easy and quick DNA sizing up to 100-base pairs in complex DNA samples. We expect our method can size DNA molecules up to mega-base pairs for less than 30 minutes.
