DNA-Based Sensors

Abstract

Sensing and detection for clinical diagnostic can be accomplished through various routes. Additionally what and how of sensing is critically optimized to meet individual needs. Diagnostics is carried out with various types of sensors out of which the electrochemical sensors are most used due to their unique ability to couple seamlessly with electronic circuitry. The DNA sensor is one of the most common types of sensors which is majorly deployed to perform expression monitoring, transcription profiling, etc., for example, the products developed by Affymetrix and Nanogen. This chapter is a consolidated review of the various aspects of DNA sensors, like the principle of detection, various ways of sensing and detection, applications of such DNA-based sensing. It looks at the various principles that are utilized for gene mapping like dielectrophoresis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR or quantitative PCR (better known as q-PCR), hybridization, solid-phase PCR, droplet-based PCR, etc. It also reviews various sensing/detection strategies for sensing DNA like electrophoresis, impedance spectroscopy, colorimetric sensing, optical sensing and inertial sensing. The chapter provides a state-of-the-art review of basic techniques, sensing methodologies and applications for DNA-based diagnostics as carried out by industry.