DNA Isolation, Stretching and Tethering from Whole-Blood for Super-Resolution Imaging

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) are small chromosomal fragments found in trace amounts within our blood and are usually produced through various physiological processes such as cellular secretion, apoptosis or necrosis. Levels of cfDNA have been shown to significantly increase during the onset, growth and metastasis stages of various cancers, making them a potential biomarker in liquid biopsies for the evaluation of different treatments and prognosis of cancer patients. During my visit to Toulouse, France, I will learn how to use a technique recently developed by our collaborators for the simultaneous isolation, stretching and immobilization of cfDNA from whole blood. Through a combination of capillary forces and micro-contact printing, this simple two-step technique will allow me to pattern individual DNA molecules in a reproducible manner at McMaster University. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Jose Moran-Mirabal

Student:

Partner:

Université de Toulouse

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

McMaster University

Program: