title: Heat-transfer resistance at solid-liquid interfaces: a tool for the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA.
abstract: In this article, we report on the heat-transfer resistance at interfaces as a novel, denaturation-based method to detect single-nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA. We observed that a molecular brush of double-stranded DNA grafted onto synthetic diamond surfaces does not notably affect the heat-transfer resistance at the solid-to-liquid interface. In contrast to this, molecular brushes of single-stranded DNA cause, surprisingly, a substantially higher heat-transfer resistance and behave like a thermally insulating layer. This effect can be utilized to identify ds-DNA melting temperatures via the switching from low- to high heat-transfer resistance. The melting temperatures identified with this method for different DNA duplexes (29 base pairs without and with built-in mutations) correlate nicely with data calculated by modeling. The method is fast, label-free (without the need for fluorescent or radioactive markers), allows for repetitive measurements, and can also be extended toward array formats. Reference measurements by confocal fluorescence microscopy and impedance spectroscopy confirm that the switching of heat-transfer resistance upon denaturation is indeed related to the thermal on-chip denaturation of DNA.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials Research IMO, IMOMEC, Hasselt University, Wetenschapspark 1, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. bart.vangrinsven@uhasselt.be
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Grinsven
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanden Bon
authors.forename: Hannelore
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strauven
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grieten
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murib
authors.forename: Kathia L Jiménez
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Monroy
authors.forename: Stoffel D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haenen
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schöning
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vermeeren
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ameloot
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Michiels
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thoelen
authors.forename: Ward
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: De Ceuninck
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004566:Electrodes; D006358:Hot Temperature; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010651:Phenylalanine Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D013499:Surface Properties; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004247:DNA; D010651:Phenylalanine Hydroxylase