New chip reduces DNA analysis time
for DNA analysis. The sensors have the same size and thickness as a
fingernail and will have uses in testing genetic toxicity in new
drugs and identifying bacterial strains in foodborne illnesses.
In addition, the sensor can be applied to such applications such as performing paternity tests, identifying bacterial infections and detecting genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Identifying DNA chains has become increasingly important in biochemistry, medicine and biotechnology. But traditional DNA-analysis techniques are becoming outdated as demand increases for more genetic information to be found in less time and at a lower cost. An important step forward in this direction was the creation of DNA chips, or even thousands, of genetic tests can be performed simultaneously with these chips, which are now a vital part of any large-scale project, such as unlocking the genetic code of an organism.
By using the new sensors the time taken to identify the source of infection for Legionella would decrease from two days, as is currently the case using organic production techniques, to just thirty minutes. In trials, the new sensors enabled Salmonella to be identified in four and a half hours, compared to three to five days using the traditional microbiological methods.
This method for identifying bacteria could also be used to detect other infectious agents such as Campylobacter and Listeria, and the sensor could easily be adapted for use in medicine, environmental monitoring and the industrial sector.
The researchers Salvador Alegret, Manuel del Valle and Maria Isabel Pividori, members of the Sensors and Biosensors Group at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) Department of Chemistry, developed the new sensors based on their experience in research with electrochemical sensors. These can identify a substance by chemically interacting with it and converting this interaction into an electrical current that they measure.
"The next step is to mass-produce the sensors", said Alegret, the director of research. "Mass production will allow costs to be reduced and the product to become as widely available as pregnancy test kits we can buy at the local pharmacy."
DNA chips are limited to a certain extent because of some very specific analytical problems, such as establishing the source of microbial contamination quickly and efficiently. The new miniaturised electrochemical genosensors meet the current need for DNA to be analysed at a low cost that do not need to be supervised by highly trained scientists.
To detect DNA, the new miniaturised electrochemical genosensors have a probe containing DNA fragments that complement the DNA they aim to detect. For example, to detect Salmonella in a sample, the probe has fragments of the type of DNA that complements that found in a group of genes that identify the bacteria.
When the probe is submerged into the sample, some of the DNA fragments from the bacterial cells join the complementing fragments from the probe, creating a measurable electrical current. The sensor converts this current into a signal that can be seen by the person controlling the tests, making the researcher aware of bacteria.
In addition, because the sensors are small and easy to manipulate, it is possible to assemble a set of sensors that can collect data simultaneously and deduce information about the bacteria such as which strain caused the foodborne illness.
