Applying Radio Frequency Analysis Techniques to Characterize DNA both Experimentally via Dielectric Response and Computationally via Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We developed a novel technique to probe biomolecular solutions using electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency (RF) spectrum (10 MHz – 40 GHz) to rapidly characterize electrophysical properties such as the dielectric permittivity spectrum. Furthermore, by direct comparison with both RF and spectroscopic measurements, as well as numerical computation, we demonstrate the utility of molecular dynamics simulations in the determination of dielectric permittivity. In conjunction, these advancements allow for the experimental investigation of samples using RF techniques, as well as generating expected RF spectrum results from theoretical biomolecules that have not yet been synthesized. Finally, we create a schema to assist researchers in the usage of RF characterization to both identify their solutions' characteristic electrical properties, determine whether there are contaminants in their systems, and even predict the electrophysical properties of theoretical biomolecules.