A New Signal-on Electrochemistry-based Detection Platform for Dna and Polymerase Enzyme on a Microchip without Probe Immobilization Chemistry

We report a new DNA and polymerase detection method that utilizes the competition between a ferrocene-labeled PNA probe and the target DNA or a polymerase-elongated DNA primer to hybridize with a DNA probe/template. Due to the electrostatic interaction between the negative DNA backbones and a negatively-charged electrode, the results of the competition were reflected in the electrochemical signal of ferrocene, which was used to determine the presence of the target DNA or the DNA polymerase. This detection technology is simple, fast and more reliable compared to previously reported signal-off detection schemes, which make it a promising candidate for point-of-care applications.