Transient electrical signal based methods and devices for characterizing molecular interaction and/or motion in a sample
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsNader Pourmand, Arjang Hassibi
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Abstract
Devices for detecting a transient electrical signal in a sample are provided. Also provided are systems that include the subject devices. The subject devices and systems find use in a variety of applications, particularly in the characterization of a sample, and more particularly in the characterization of molecular entities in the sample.
Claims108
A method of characterizing a first molecule X and a second immobilized molecule Y in a sample of a conducting medium, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a system comprising said immobilized second molecule Y, said conducting medium sample, and said first molecule X;
- (b) detecting a transient electrical signal produced by a monodirectional movement of said first molecule X through said conducting medium sample relative to said immobilized second molecule Y;
- and
- (c) relating said detected transient electrical signal to at least one characterizing feature of said first molecule X and said second molecule Y in said sample.
A method of detecting the occurrence of a polymerase mediated template dependent primer extension reaction in a medium, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a system comprising an immobilized template primer duplex nucleic acid made up of template and primer nucleic acids in contact with said medium, wherein said medium comprises a polymerase and at least one nucleotide;
- (b) detecting a transient electrical signal produced in said medium by covalent bonding of said at least one nucleotide to a terminus of said primer nucleic acid;
- and
- (c) relating said detected transient electrical signal to the occurrence of a polymerase mediated template dependent primer extension reaction in said medium.
A method of sequencing a nucleic acid, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a system comprising an immobilized template primer duplex nucleic acid made up of said nucleic acid hybridized to a primer nucleic acid, wherein said immobilized template primer duplex nucleic acid is immobilized on a surface of a working electrode and is in contact with a medium comprising a polymerase and at least one nucleotide;
- (b) detecting a transient electrical signal produced in said medium by covalent bonding of said at least one nucleotide to a terminus of said template nucleic acid;
- and
- (c) determining said sequence of said nucleic acid using said detected transient electrical signal.
A method of detecting the occurrence of a binding event between a first molecule and an immobilized second molecule in a medium, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a system comprising said immobilized second molecule immobilized on a surface of a working electrode and in contact with a medium comprising said first molecule;
- (b) detecting a transient electrical signal in said medium produced by a binding event between said first molecule said immobilized second molecule;
- and
- (c) relating said detected transient electrical signal to the occurrence of said binding event between said first and second molecule.
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a medium containment element containing a medium having a first molecule;
- (b) a working electrode having a second molecule immobilized on a surface thereof, wherein said surface is in contact with said medium;
- (c) a driver to drive said working electrode;
- and
- (e) a signal processor to obtain a response of said first and to generate a transient electrical signal based thereon.
A computer readable medium on which is recorded an algorithm for relating a transient electrical signal caused by movement of a first molecule X through a conducting medium relative to second immobilized molecule Y to at least one characterizing feature of said first molecule X and said second molecule Y in said medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.