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DNA as a Model for Probing Polymer Entanglements: Circular Polymers and Non-Classical Dynamics

Double-stranded DNA offers a robust platform for investigating fundamental questions regarding the dynamics of entangled polymer solutions. The exceptional monodispersity and multiple naturally occurring topologies of DNA, as well as a wide range of tunable lengths and concentrations that encompass...

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Autores principales: Regan, Kathryn, Ricketts, Shea, Robertson-Anderson, Rae M.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6432451/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30974610
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym8090336
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author Regan, Kathryn
Ricketts, Shea
Robertson-Anderson, Rae M.
author_facet Regan, Kathryn
Ricketts, Shea
Robertson-Anderson, Rae M.
author_sort Regan, Kathryn
collection PubMed
description Double-stranded DNA offers a robust platform for investigating fundamental questions regarding the dynamics of entangled polymer solutions. The exceptional monodispersity and multiple naturally occurring topologies of DNA, as well as a wide range of tunable lengths and concentrations that encompass the entanglement regime, enable direct testing of molecular-level entanglement theories and corresponding scaling laws. DNA is also amenable to a wide range of techniques from passive to nonlinear measurements and from single-molecule to bulk macroscopic experiments. Over the past two decades, researchers have developed methods to directly visualize and manipulate single entangled DNA molecules in steady-state and stressed conditions using fluorescence microscopy, particle tracking and optical tweezers. Developments in microfluidics, microrheology and bulk rheology have also enabled characterization of the viscoelastic response of entangled DNA from molecular levels to macroscopic scales and over timescales that span from linear to nonlinear regimes. Experiments using DNA have uniquely elucidated the debated entanglement properties of circular polymers and blends of linear and circular polymers. Experiments have also revealed important lengthscale and timescale dependent entanglement dynamics not predicted by classical tube models, both validating and refuting new proposed extensions and alternatives to tube theory and motivating further theoretical work to describe the rich dynamics exhibited in entangled polymer systems.
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spelling pubmed-64324512019-04-02 DNA as a Model for Probing Polymer Entanglements: Circular Polymers and Non-Classical Dynamics Regan, Kathryn Ricketts, Shea Robertson-Anderson, Rae M. Polymers (Basel) Review Double-stranded DNA offers a robust platform for investigating fundamental questions regarding the dynamics of entangled polymer solutions. The exceptional monodispersity and multiple naturally occurring topologies of DNA, as well as a wide range of tunable lengths and concentrations that encompass the entanglement regime, enable direct testing of molecular-level entanglement theories and corresponding scaling laws. DNA is also amenable to a wide range of techniques from passive to nonlinear measurements and from single-molecule to bulk macroscopic experiments. Over the past two decades, researchers have developed methods to directly visualize and manipulate single entangled DNA molecules in steady-state and stressed conditions using fluorescence microscopy, particle tracking and optical tweezers. Developments in microfluidics, microrheology and bulk rheology have also enabled characterization of the viscoelastic response of entangled DNA from molecular levels to macroscopic scales and over timescales that span from linear to nonlinear regimes. Experiments using DNA have uniquely elucidated the debated entanglement properties of circular polymers and blends of linear and circular polymers. Experiments have also revealed important lengthscale and timescale dependent entanglement dynamics not predicted by classical tube models, both validating and refuting new proposed extensions and alternatives to tube theory and motivating further theoretical work to describe the rich dynamics exhibited in entangled polymer systems. MDPI 2016-09-07 /pmc/articles/PMC6432451/ /pubmed/30974610 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym8090336 Text en © 2016 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Review
Regan, Kathryn
Ricketts, Shea
Robertson-Anderson, Rae M.
DNA as a Model for Probing Polymer Entanglements: Circular Polymers and Non-Classical Dynamics
title DNA as a Model for Probing Polymer Entanglements: Circular Polymers and Non-Classical Dynamics
title_full DNA as a Model for Probing Polymer Entanglements: Circular Polymers and Non-Classical Dynamics
title_fullStr DNA as a Model for Probing Polymer Entanglements: Circular Polymers and Non-Classical Dynamics
title_full_unstemmed DNA as a Model for Probing Polymer Entanglements: Circular Polymers and Non-Classical Dynamics
title_short DNA as a Model for Probing Polymer Entanglements: Circular Polymers and Non-Classical Dynamics
title_sort dna as a model for probing polymer entanglements: circular polymers and non-classical dynamics
topic Review
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6432451/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30974610
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym8090336
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