We have recently reported on the design and properties of two related classes of “universal” biosensors made out of DNA (“Deoxyribosensors”), which generate electrical signals in response to the binding of designated ligands/analytes (small molecules or macromolecules). The original biochemical methodology has now been transferred to chips, and should be useful for the detection of a variety of analytes. In addition, this technology is being adapted to develop electronic logic gates, and for the development of a novel structure-probing method for complexly folded nucleic acids. This latter method, “Charge Flow and Quenching Mapping” (CFQ), is able to map base-stacking connectivities to yield information about the global/axial stacking relationships of two or more helical arms within specific folded DNAs/RNAs, as well as on the location of specific guanines within helices or at defined extra-helical sites. We expect that CFQ will provide structural information not easily obtained using other techniques.
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