Sequence-Detecting Nanoscale Sensor

Makarand writes "A nanoscale sensor made of a single molecule - just 20 nanometers long - capable of detecting a specific short sequence in a mix of DNA or RNA molecules has been created by physicists at UCLA. This nanoscale sensor could be used to detect the early stages of cancers for which genetic markers are well known or extremely minute traces of biological weapons. When a target molecule binds to the probe molecule in the sensor, the probe molecule changes shape and pulls on the sensor. The motion of the sensor is detected by an optical technique to measure conformational changes in the probe molecule at the nanometer scale."

Comments

How long does it take?

[Cruel Angel]

I didn't see anything that indicates how long it take to bind to the appropriate sequence. Or how many false positives or compelete misses there are. (though I would guess false positives are very low).

It's a good start, but clearly there's a long way to go before it is more than just a 'lab' tool.

A leap forward

[Sgt York]

So, who's buying this tech? This could easily replace many of the current tools used to analyze gene expression at the bench. It may be years or decades brfore there is actual treatment based on this tech, but it may be used at the bench in the next few years. People (like my lab, for instance) spend huge ammounts of money to assay changes in RNA transcription under certain circumstances. If this could be measured in real time...hell, even if it could be measured quickly.

For those in the field, imagine being able to assay the ammount of your transcript of interest in an RNA sample as easily as you are able to measure total RNA. Pop a cuvette in a specialized spec and get a reading? You could have your answer in seconds as opposed to hours. Granted, the tech is not at that point yet, but it could easily get there in a few years.

Again I ask....what company is buying this? I want stock in them NOW.