Research Project
2005782
DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the applicant's abstract) This project proposes a biosensor for the detection of DNA fragments specific to HIV. The sensing element will be an interdigitated array (IDA) having single stranded DNA immobilized between the array's digits. Immobilized DNA strands will be complimentary to a conserved sequence in the HIV target thus allowing selective detection. Electronics capable of measuring impedance changes will be the detection of the hybridization of complementary DNA strands. Impedance spectroscopy, i.e., multiple frequency impedance measurements, will be used to completely characterize the sensor's response. The resulting impedance spectrum will be treated by Neural Network Analysis (NNA) to isolate the hybridized DNA response from non-specifically adsorbed species and other matrix effects. The technological innovations which will result from the project include a sensitive and specific HIV DNA detection scheme which would be applicable to any DNA assay.
