Design of Specific Nucleic Acid‐Based Biosensors for Protein Binding Activity

Nucleic acid-based biosensors for the detection of specific proteins combine typical programmability synthetic DNA systems with artificially controlled DNA-protein communication. The high-affinity interaction between a target protein and ligand, such as an aptamer sequence, or double stranded domain, small peptide, is paired nature-mimicking molecular mechanism allowing probing, processing, translating binding activity into measurable signal. In this Review, two main strategies developed in context protein-responsive nucleic are discussed. One design proximity-based assays harnessing spatial colocalization functional probes within volume multivalent protein. other engineering dynamic structures that undergo conformational structural change upon binding. Examples applications from optical electrochemical antibodies biofluids to fluorescence imaging transcription factors living cells reported, suggestions along possible future directions field