Plasmonic nanofocusing for super-resolution DNA imaging

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Plasmonics (waves in a metal's electrons) can focus light to extreme concentrations that enable imaging techniques to resolve features well beyond the optical barrier known as the diffraction limit. This project aims to develop a routine methodology capable of extracting precise information from single DNA molecules by incorporating plasmonic components into a lab-on-a-chip device for use under conventional optical microscopes. The configuration would have the convenience and technological maturity associated with microscopes whilst being able to capture details of biomolecules with unprecedented detail. New DNA analyses will be made possible by the platform, such as studying the genomic diversity within a population of tumour cells.