BACKGROUND:  Detection sensors have been based on optical, plate capacitance, resistor, field effect transistor (FET), and bottom gating nanotube network configurations. Optical methods, such as ELISA, suffer from the need to perform a fluorescent tagging step. Plate capacitance methods lack sensitivity and reproducibility required for, e.g., human serum analysis. Electronic resistor/FET methods require the use of a buffer/post buffer removal environment, which leads to instability and susceptibility to varying environmental conditions. Bottom gating nanotube networks are limited to use in air/gas, and not a serum environment.

INNOVATION:  The novel biosensing and monitoring device enables accurate measurement of biomolecules, in a serum environment, by incorporating a network of nanowires on a substrate. The nanowires can be carbon nanotube, semiconducting nanowire, or metallic nanowire. This enables the new detection of biomolecular processes in a serum environment. The processes include antibody-antigen binding, DNA duplex formation, virus detection, and cell detection, among others.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS 

• Detection of cancer markers
• Human serum and other clinical sample testing
• Biosensing and monitoring applications
• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) detection

ADVANTAGES

• Detects biomolecular processes, including antibody-antigen binding, DNA duplex formation, virus detection, and cell detection
• Enables accurate, sensitive, and reproducible measurement of biomolecules in a serum environment
• Combines electronic detection with bio-molecule attachment, incubation, and washing, resulting in a simplified procedure compared to ELISA
• Eliminates the need for fluorescent tagging

DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE:  The device has been successfully fabricated and tested.

Reference: UCLA Case No. 2006-454