Deposition from a drop: morphologies of unspecifically bound DNA

We have studied the morphologies of unspecifically bound DNA on solid substrates that arise when it is deposited from a liquid drop. Depending on the mode of removal of the liquid from the surface, and on the properties of the solvent and substrate, the observed single-molecule morphologies range from elongated to condensed conformations. Further, we have examined the amount of unspecifically bound DNA on microarrays deposited from drying droplets, for which we have employed test systems based on gene fragments of E. coli and oligonucleotides.