title: Smartphone-based detection of unlabeled DNA via electrochemical dissolution.
abstract: We describe a novel approach that enables unlabeled biomolecules and chemical analytes to be detected using ordinary smartphone optics. Electrochemical reactivity of chromium, ordinarily considered detrimental, is harnessed here to generate a signature that can be easily seen by monitoring electrode dissolution under ordinary white-light illumination. The simplicity and robustness of this approach eliminates the need for labeling and/or pre-programming with specific receptors (e.g., oligonucleotide probes), making it feasible to greatly expand availability of a host of assays where detection complexity is a limiting constraint.
authors.affiliation: Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3122, USA.
authors.forename: Yu-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Ugaz
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002857:Chromium / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004566:Electrodes; D004868:Equipment Failure; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D002857:Chromium; D004247:DNA