Free solution hydrodynamic separation of DNA fragments from 75 to 106,000 base pairs in a single run.

Gel electrophoresis is commonly used to separate DNA, but narrow capillaries or microchannels desired for high throughput efficient separations are difficult to fill with gels. We report here that a narrow capillary can be used to hydrodynamically separate a wide size range of DNA fragments in a single run without the need for gels, wall coatings, or an electric field. We also demonstrate that attractive separation is possible in a few minutes and that the separated DNA can be collected into individual fractions that remain viable for amplification via the polymerase chain reaction.