title: Fluorescent polymeric transducer for the rapid, simple, and specific detection of nucleic acids at the zeptomole level.
abstract: We report the specific detection of a few hundred molecules of genetic material using a fluorescent polythiophene biosensor. Such recognition is based on simple electrostatic interactions between a cationic polymeric optical transducer and the negatively charged nucleic acid target and can be done in less than 1 h, simply and affordably, and without any chemical reaction. This simple system is versatile enough to detect nucleic acids of various lengths, including a segment from the RNA genome of the Influenza virus.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Sciences et Ingénierie des Macromolécules, Département de Chimie, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada G1K 7P4.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doré
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dubus
authors.forename: Hoang-Anh
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lévesque
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunette
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corbeil
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boissinot
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boivin
authors.forename: Michel G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boudreau
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leclerc
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D055672:Static Electricity; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D013876:Thiophenes; C066730:polythiophene; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA