Earnshaw Medal
Earnshaw 2009 Nominees: Sonia Buckley, TCD
Measuring the Physical Properties of Chromosomes
Uncovering the physical properties of biological structures is a field still mostly unexplored.
Very little data exists on the physical parameters of biological structures. However, for 'lab on a chip' design for biomedical applications, it is necessary to know parameters such as size, dielectric properties and charge, in order to get an idea of the existing possibilities for controlled manipulation. The aim of this project was to determine the dielectric constant and conductivity of biological samples, in particular chromosomes, using the techniques of electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and dielectrophoresis (DEP). Although measurements did not lead to conclusive results for these properties, the development of the measurement processes is useful and interesting for future research into the physical properties of these and other biological materials.
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