Nanoscale sensors

Abstract

Various aspects of the present invention generally relate to nanoscale wire devices and methods for use in determining analytes suspected to be present in a sample, and systems and methods of immobilizing entities such as reaction entities relative to nanoscale wires. In one aspect, a nucleic acid, such as DNA, may be immobilized relative to a nanoscale wire, and in some cases, grown from the nanoscale wire. In certain embodiments, the nucleic acid may interact with entities such as other nucleic acids, proteins, etc., and in some cases, such interactions may be reversible. As an example, an enzyme such as telomerase may be allowed to bind to DNA immobilized relative to a nanoscale wire. The telomerase may extend the length of the DNA, for instance, by reaction with free deoxynucleotide triphosphates in solution; additionally, various properties of the nucleic acid may be determined, for example, using electric field interactions between the nucleic acid and the nanoscale wire. In another aspect, the invention provides systems and methods for attaching entities such as nucleic acids, receptors such as gangliosides, or surfactants to a nanoscale wire, for example, using aldehyde-producing reactions or hydrophobic interactions. In some aspects, certain systems and methods of the present invention may be used to determine an analyte suspected to be present in a sample, for example, a toxin, a virus, or a small molecule. Systems and methods of using such nanoscale wires are disclosed in other aspects of the invention, for example, within a microarray. Still other aspects of the invention include assays, sensors, kits, and/or other devices that include such nanoscale wires, methods of making and/or using functionalized nanoscale wires (for example, in drug screening or high-throughput screening), and the like.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . An article, comprising:
 a silicon nanoscale wire having a surface, at least a portion of which is aldehyde-functionalized; and   an entity covalently bonded to the aldehyde-functionalized surface via an imine bond, wherein the entity comprises an antibody.   
     
     
         28 - 125 . (canceled) 
     
     
         126 . The article of  claim 27 , wherein the portion of the silicon nanoscale wire which is aldehyde-functionalized is functionalized with aldehyde propyltrimethoxysilane. 
     
     
         127 . The article of  claim 27 , wherein the antibody is an antibody to prostate specific antigen. 
     
     
         128 . The article of  claim 27 , wherein the silicon nanoscale wire has a cross-sectional dimension of less than about 20 nm. 
     
     
         129 . An article comprising:
 a nanoscale wire having a surface, at least a portion of which is aldehyde-functionalized; and   an entity covalently bonded to the aldehyde-functionalized surface via an imine bond, wherein the entity comprises a telomerase.   
     
     
         130 . The article of  claim 129 , wherein the portion of the silicon nanoscale wire which is aldehyde-functionalized is functionalized with aldehyde propyltrimethoxysilane. 
     
     
         131 . The article of  claim 129 , wherein the silicon nanoscale wire has a cross-sectional dimension of less than about 20 nm.