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Label-free single-molecule detection of DNA-hybridization kinetics with a carbon nanotube field-effect transistor

2011; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 6; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/nnano.2010.275

1748-3395

Sebastian Sorgenfrei, Chien‐Yang Chiu, Ruben L. Gonzalez, Young‐Jun Yu, Philip Kim, Colin Nuckolls, Kenneth L. Shepard,

Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies

Single-molecule measurements of biomolecules can provide information about the molecular interactions and kinetics that are hidden in ensemble measurements. However, there is a requirement for techniques with improved sensitivity and time resolution for use in exploring biomolecular systems with fast dynamics. Here, we report the detection of DNA hybridization at the single-molecule level using a carbon nanotube field-effect transistor. By covalently attaching a single-stranded probe DNA sequence to a point defect in a carbon nanotube, we are able to measure two-level fluctuations in the conductance of the nanotube in the presence of a complementary DNA target. The kinetics of the system are studied as a function of temperature, allowing the measurement of rate constants, melting curves and activation energies for different sequences and target concentrations. The kinetics demonstrate non-Arrhenius behaviour, in agreement with DNA hybridization experiments using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. This technique is label-free and could be used to probe single-molecule dynamics at microsecond timescales. The kinetics of DNA hybridization can be explored by measuring the conductance of a carbon nanotube that has a single strand of DNA covalently attached to a point defect.