Simulation of megabase DNA undergoing gel electrophoresis

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Abstract
A novel type of simulation has been designed to study the dynamics of long DNA fragments, containing millions of base pairs, as they migrate during gel electrophoresis. It shows that in a continuous field, large molecules assume a branched configuration—a behavior qualitatively different from that previously described for smaller fragments. Simulations in crossed fields reveal a new kind of reorientation mechanism which explains the well-known but puzzling fact that the power of separation increases abruptly as the angle between fields is raised above 90° and remains approximately constant for a wide range of obtuse settings.