The growth of filaments under macromolecular confinement using scaling theory

Abstract

Quantitatively describing macromolecular confinement is still a challenge. Using the assembly of DNA tiles in a polyacrylamide network as a model, we studied the effect of macromolecular confinement on the growth of the filament by scaling theory. The results show that the confinement regulates the morphology, the initial growth rate v, and the eventual length of the filament N_m. The initial growth rate is dependent on the medium viscosity η as ν ∝ η^−0.94, and the filament adjusts its length in the given confined space as N_m ∝ (ξ/R_g)^1.8, with ξ being the mesh size of the polyacrylamide solution and R_g being the radius of gyration of polyacrylamide.