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A new electric sensor has been developed by scientists which will enable the diagnostics and biological research to detect DNA in a faster, more accurate and cost-effective way.
The sensor which has been developed by the Singapore-based Institute of Bio-engineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the Nanogap Sensor Array, has an "excellent" sensitivity in detecting DNA even if it is in trace amounts.
"This new bio-sensor holds significant promise to speed up on-going efforts in the detection and diagnosis of debilitating diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular problems and infectious viruses," Jackie Y. Ying, IBN's executive director, said.
"By saving time and lowering expenses, our newly developed Nanogap Sensor Array offers a scalable and viable alternative for DNA testing," said Zhiqiang Gao, who led the research at the IBN.
Once the biosensor detects the presence of DNA, it is translated by the bio-sensor in the form of electrical signals for computer analysis. It detects DNA in a more efficient way by “sandwiching" the DNA strands between the two different surfaces.
Conventionally, human DNA is detected through the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which, while effective, is also expensive, cumbersome and time-consuming for widespread use.
The research was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
