A new technique called tether force spectroscopy uses DNA strands to pull on molecules, allowing researchers to measure mechanical strain at scale using standard lab equipment.

Researchers at UBC Okanagan have developed a method called tether force spectroscopy to measure the mechanical forces acting on molecules. By using DNA strands as 'sails' that catch fluid flow, the team can apply controlled force to hundreds of molecules simultaneously. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, offer a more accessible alternative to traditional, specialized equipment that typically measures only one molecule at a time.

Overcoming Traditional Measurement Limitations

Standard laboratory tests often fail to account for the physical forces molecules experience within the human body, such as pulling or gripping under strain. While existing tools like optical tweezers can measure these interactions, they are often expensive, complex, and limited to single-molecule analysis. Furthermore, many current methods require attaching molecules to microscopic beads, which can introduce experimental variability and complicate results.

How DNA Sails Function

The new method replaces physical beads with a long strand of DNA tethered to a target molecule. When a fluid current is run past the setup, the DNA acts as a sail, tugging on the molecule anchored below. By tagging both the DNA sail and the target molecule with fluorescent markers, scientists can observe how the molecules stretch or shift in real time using standard fluorescence microscopes and simple pumps.

Commercialization and Future Applications

The research team has filed a patent for the technology through Innovation UBC and is exploring commercialization through the Mitacs Lab2Market program. The researchers suggest that this tool could improve drug discovery by allowing scientists to observe how candidate molecules perform under physical strain, rather than relying solely on binding tests performed in static environments.