DNA-Based Sensors for Volatiles

Scientists from CogniScent, Inc., a North Grafton, Massachusetts company, and from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University are reporting in the latest PLoS Biology the development of solid-state sensors that are based on “a previously unreported property of deoxyribonucleic acid–the ability of dye-labeled, solid-state DNA dried onto a surface to detect odors delivered in the vapor phase by changes in fluorescence.” The discovery might revolutionize our ability to develop “artificial noses” for diagnostic and other purposes.
PLoS Biology article: Solid-State, Dye-Labeled DNA Detects Volatile Compounds in the Vapor Phase PLoS Biol 6(1): e9
CogniScent …