Label-Free Electronic Detection of Thrombin in Blood Serum by Using an Aptamer-Based Sensor

摘要

Aptamers are DNA or RNA sequences selected in vitro for their ability to bind specific molecular targets.[1]-[3] Due to the ease with which novel aptamers can be fashioned and their generally impressive selectivity and affinity, they are widely regarded as ideal recognition elements for biosensor applications.[4], [5] Consistent with this claim, aptamers have been employed in a variety of sensing technologies,[6]-[11] including a very promising optical approach termed aptamer beacons. Aptamer beacons employ a large-scale, binding-induced conformational change in order to modulate the emission of a covalently bound fluorophore.[12] To date, aptamer beacons have been reported for such diverse targets as the small molecule cocaine[13] and the proteins Tat,[14] Taq DNA polymerase,[15] platelet-derived growth factor,[16] and thrombin.[6]