Characterization of optoelectronic platform using an amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon biosensor for the specific identification of nucleic acid sequences based on gold nanoparticle probes

Nanotechnology is having a positive impact on nearly every industry, and in particular in healthcare, where it is extending the limits of molecular diagnostics to the nanoscale—nanodiagnostics. Here we describe an innovative optoelectronic platform for the colorimetric detection of nucleic acids based on oligonucleotide-derivatized gold nanoparticles. The device integrates an amorphous/nanocrystalline biosensor and a light emission source with a gold nanoprobe for specific DNA detection. This low cost, fast and simple optoelectronic platform permits detection of few picomole of nucleic acid without target or signal amplification making it suitable for application in population diagnostics and in point-of-care hand-held devices.