  It is hypothesized that nonlinear solid friction between the gel matrix and
DNA molecules inhibits the motion of DNA through the nanopores of the gel
during electrophoresis. In this article, it is demonstrated that external noise
can alleviate the effect of solid friction, thus enhancing the mobility of DNA
in an electrophoretic setting. In the presence of noise, the mobility of DNA
increases by more than ~113 % compared to conventional electrophoresis.
Although at a high power of noise, DNA exhibits Arrhenius kinetics, at a low
power of noise, super Arrhenius kinetics suggest the collective behavior of the
activated motion of DNA molecules. Stochastic simulation following modified
Langevin dynamics with the asymmetric pore size distribution of the agarose gel
successfully predicts the mobility of DNA molecules and reveals the salient
features of the overall dynamics. This 'noise lubricity' may have broader
applicability from molecular to macroscopic locomotion.
