A nanobiosensor to detect single hybridization events

Analyst. 2009 Dec;134(12):2458-61. doi: 10.1039/b920559b. Epub 2009 Oct 23.

Abstract

An economical nanoarray method to electrically detect hybridization events is demonstrated. As a proof of concept, we fabricated a sensor for DNA sequencing, in which targets are oligonucleotides conjugated to gold nanoparticles. As a consequence of target-probe binding events, a conductive bridge forms between two electrodes, resulting in a quantized change in conductivity. This enables a robust detection of a few (down to single) hybridization events and can be potentially applied also to other binding events (like specific interactions between proteins, antibodies, ligands and receptors). Moreover, target amplification techniques (such as PCR) are no longer necessary.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation*
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • Gold
  • Metal Nanoparticles
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
  • Nucleic Acid Hybridization
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / instrumentation*
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / methods

Substances

  • Gold
  • DNA