Parallel detection of nucleic acids using an electronic chip

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among North American men. The recent discovery of altered genes that play an underlying role in prostate cancer development has made the sequence-specific detection of nucleic acids especially important. Multiplexed detection using electronic readout would permit sensitive, reliable, fast and inexpensive identification of molecular biomarkers in clinical settings. This would improve early diagnosis, and would provide a route towards prognosis and new therapeutic possibilities. Here we report for the first time the development of a novel chip-based, addressable array of nano-textured microelectrodes (NMEs) that can be used in automated detection of a panel of prostate cancer-related gene fusions in clinical samples. The attomolar sensitivity along with the unique multiplexing capability of this system make it superior to the previously reported electrochemical nucleic acids sensors.