# One-parameter scaling theory for DNA extension in a nanochannel

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a one-parameter scaling theory based on a telegraph process that accurately models DNA extension in nanochannels, resolving discrepancies between experiments and existing theories.

## Contribution

It develops a novel theoretical framework that unifies experimental and simulation data for DNA confinement, improving understanding of polymer behavior in nanochannels.

## Key findings

- The theory collapses diverse data onto a single master curve.
- It explains the mechanisms behind DNA extension in nanochannels.
- The model aligns well with experimental and simulation results.

## Abstract

Experiments measuring DNA extension in nanochannels are at odds with even the most basic predictions of current scaling arguments for the conformations of confined semiflexible polymers such as DNA. We show that a theory based on a weakly self-avoiding, one-dimensional "telegraph" process collapses experimental data and simulation results onto a single master curve throughout the experimentally relevant region of parameter space and explains the mechanisms at play.