Reactive oxygen species controllable non-thermal helium plasmas for evaluation of plasmid DNA strand breaks

Non-thermal, oxygen-rich helium plasmas were investigated to achieve an enhanced reactive oxygen species concentration at low voltage driving conditions. A non-thermal plasma device was fabricated based on a theta-shaped tube, and its potential was investigated for use in topological alteration of plasmid DNA. The optical emission spectra of the plasma showed that the oxygen flow affected the plasma properties, even though an oxygen plasma was not produced. The plasmid DNA strand breaks became more significant with the addition of oxygen flow to the helium in a single hollow, theta-shaped tube with other experimental conditions being unchanged. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4768922]