Electron Transfer Rate in Nucleotides and Applications in Detection of Genetic Material of SARS-CoV2 Virus.

The charge transport mechanism in DNA, which is yet to be fully understood, has been envisioned as a key component for a wide range of important technologies applications, such as the development of advanced biosensors and of miniaturized bioelectronic circuits. Among major factors to be considered for electrical conductivity properties of DNA are the point of contact between the DNA and the electrode and the environment surrounding a particular DNA strand. We are investigating charge transfer properties in a chain of nucleic acid when chemically bound to a gold surface. For this purpose, we are using redox-active probes and a combination of analytical tools that includes electrochemical modulation of plasmonic surface waves, ac voltammetry, and optical impedance spectroscopy. Such knowledge is providing us a route to develop new biosensing strategies that could eventually detect the genetic code specific to any living being, as for example for the SARS-CoV2 virus. Our current experimental data shows that our technology is capable to detect with high performance target analytes synthesized to mimic specific regions of SARS-CoV2 virus genome.