Kun-Lin Yang, Hua Tan, and Shisheng Huang. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Dr 4, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
We report a method of transferring complementary target DNA from an aqueous solution onto a solid surface by using affinity microcontact printing. By using fluorescent microscopy, we show that only complementary target DNA, but not non-complementary DNA, can be captured onto the surface of the stamp and then transferred to the aminated glass slide. The transfer of DNA can be attributed to the stronger electrostatic attraction between DNA and amine group compared to the hydrogen bonding between hybridized DNA molecules. We also investigate several factors that may influence the transfer of DNA, such as surface density of amine groups, hybridization conditions, and the contamination from unreacted PDMS monomers.