A visit to the University of Birmingham with Prof. M. J. Adams in August 2008 gave opportunity for the use of the rheometer there.

The rheometer was used to study the viscosity of DNA. The rheometer is normally used to study substances that are either of a high concentration or substances that are highly viscous. The DNA samples that were being tested were neither of a high concentration (between 50 µM and 1.7 mM) and are not particularly viscous, with the viscosity values being in the mPas region rather than the Pas that the instrument was used to. The instrument coped well with such small quantities and proved to be very robust.

 

The data collected will be used as part of the viscosity study of DNA.