Measurements of DNA Binding Kinetics with High-Performance Electronics

Measurements of DNA hybridization kinetics were performed using field-effect transistors (FET). The measurements utlized AC electric fields that induced either small capacitance changes at the transistor gate or changes to the local electric field due to the induced oscillatory motion of the DNA strand. In each case, an anchor strand of DNA was conjugated to a gold surface that was remotely connected to the FET gate. Complementary strands were introduced, and the time-series of DNA hybridization was then measured to estimate the association and dissociation rates of binding. The results demonstrate a rapid and label-free approach to measuring DNA hybridization kinetics. Because the approach relies on scalable CMOS devices it can be adapted for massively parallel measurements for numerous applications in biotechnology and biophysics.