Design and construction of an apparatus for induction heating for controlling DNA hybridization

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to design and construct a coil that could be used to selectively heat nanoparticles attached to "molecular beacons" or DNA loop/hairpin structures. Testing was conducted to see if the heat would be sufficient to open the molecular beacon by dehybridizing the dsDNA. This was accomplished by developing a series of seven coils that were tested using a network analyzer and through scans conducted on a fluorometer. The initial design requirements for the coil were that it needed to heat the nanoparticle, should be suitable for optical testing, and require a relatively small sample volume. At the end of the design and testing period, however, a coil that met these requirements was not successfully constructed, but two additional design requirements were developed. Through temperature testing, it was realized that the primary heating of the solution was occurring due to the coil being heated through the power. As a result, a coil that eliminates this source of power dissipation needs to be developed through the use of an air gap, water bath, or similar application, which can draw some of the heat away from the solution. Secondly, in constructing the coils, each was wound tightly so that there was a minimal gap between each loop. However, experiments showed that the proximity effect on resistance could not be neglected. This provided information on future possible designs. Therefore, the coil should be wound so that there is at least one wire's width of gap between each loop.