Near-IR Biosensors Use DNA Anchors to Target Range of Molecules
BOCHUM, Germany, Aug. 10, 2023 — To build a flexible sensor for optically detecting a range of viruses and bacteria, a group of researchers from Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems (IMS), and ETH Zurich used semiconducting, single-walled, fluorescent carbon nanotubes. The modular sensors, with fluorescence in the near-infrared (NIR), are based on DNA anchors that act as molecular handles. Carbon nanotubes can be noncovalently modified to create sensors that