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Sequence-Detecting Nanoscale Sensor

Posted by timothy on from the gattica-or-utopia dept.

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."

2 of 16 comments (clear)

  1. First ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    ... you have to get the molecule to the sensor. I would think you would need a huge array of the nanoscale devices to cover a decent area. I didn't see mention of how to "unbind" the molecule so the device could be reused?

  2. Might be useful for detecting contagious diseases by Animats · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This could lead to walk-through portals that detect contagious diseases like SARS. Detection is now too slow for use in airports, but something like this could change all that.