Rapid, label free, high throughput, miniaturized, and inexpensive nanoelectronic array as a cancer diagnosis tool

Described in here are design, fabrication, and testing of a miniaturized, rapid, label free, high throughput and inexpensive nanoelectronic array in a microfluidic channel, which can be used to detect and quantify different biomarkers. We have fabricated different geometrical designs of the array and demonstrated label free and real time electrical detection of nucleic acids, proteins and cells using our fabricated nanoarray. The utility of this array in affinity-based biosensing for different protein biomarkers demonstrated. We also adapt this array to be a matrix independent label free electronic assay capable of detecting minute traces of target protein in aqueous solution independent of the salt concentration with high specificity. We also demonstrate electrical detection of DNA hybridization using our developed nanosensors in an oligonucleotide functionalized microfluidic channel. As target conjugated with the target DNA passing through the channel are captured on the sensor surface, we are able to electrically detect changes in measured impedance due to the capturing. Such devices can be useful as simple handheld platforms in a clinical setting where one would need to rapidly genotype a small number of genes rapidly. We believe this work provides a strong starting point for a new class of electronic biosensing devices with the capability of rapid direct large-scale integration.