Monte Carlo simulation of DNA electrophoresis

Abstract

This paper describes an attempt to study the electrophoresis mobility of a DNA molecule in a gel by means of a Monte Carlo simulation. We find that the electrophoresis mobility μ can be well described by the empirical equation μ = κ₁/N + κ₂E² with N being the number of monomers of the model chain and E being the applied field. For small E the data can merge into the linear response result μ = κ₁/N. The paper also discusses necessary extensions of the present approach.