Biochemically activated electronic device

Abstract

A kit includes an array of charge sensors attached to a solid-phase substrate , wherein individual charge sensors in the array respectively comprise a channel and a polymerase and are located at different addressable locations on the solid-phase substrate; and a liquid comprising a plurality of different nucleic acids, each of the different nucleic acids including a unique label to be detected by a charge sensor of the array.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A kit, comprising:
 an array of charge sensors attached to a solid-phase substrate , wherein individual charge sensors in the array respectively comprise a channel and a polymerase and are located at different addressable locations on the solid-phase substrate; and   a liquid comprising a plurality of different nucleic acids, each of the different nucleic acids including a unique label to be detected by a charge sensor of the array.   
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the polymerase is immobilized to a respective individual charge sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 2 , wherein the polymerase is immobilized by covalent attachment. 
     
     
         4 . The kit of  claim 2 , wherein the polymerase is immobilized by noncovalent attachment. 
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the unique labels comprise charge labels. 
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 5 , wherein the charge labels comprise phosphate moieties. 
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the individual charge sensors in the array each comprises its own respective single polymerase. 
     
     
         8 . The kit of  claim 7 , wherein greater than 50% of the individual charge sensors in the array each comprises its own respective single polymerase. 
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 8 , further comprising an amplifier coupled to each of the individual charge sensors in the array, the amplifier to acquire signal from the individual charge sensors that comprise their own respective single polymerases, and the amplifier not to acquire signal from individual charge sensors that do not comprise any polymerase or that comprise more than one of their own respective polymerases. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein each polymerase is attached to a repellant moiety that occupies a volume of space that sterically hinders more than one of the polymerases from attaching to an individual charge sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 10 , wherein the repellant moiety comprises a bead or particle, the bead or particle comprising a solid support material, gel, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is a carbon nanotube. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is a nanowire. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the charge sensor comprises a pinched region having a diameter that is less than a diameter of other regions of the charge sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising electrodes attached to the solid substrate for producing an electrophoretic force to position the polymerase. 
     
     
         16 . A composition comprising the kit of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a plurality of nucleic acid templates; and   a plurality of nascent nucleic acid strands,   wherein the polymerase of each of the individual charge sensors in the array binds one of the nucleic acid templates, one of the nascent nucleic acid strands, and one of the different nucleic acids and brings the unique label of that nucleic acid within sufficient proximity to the channel of that charge sensor to create a distinguishable signal.   
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the charge sensors are functionalized with oligonucleotides and the unique labels hybridize to one or more of the oligonucleotides. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the unique label is cleavable from that nucleic acid by the polymerase leaving the unique label free to diffuse away from the charge sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the unique labels comprise oligonucleotide moieties. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the oligonucleotide moieties hybridize to respectively complementary sequences immobilized to the charge sensor. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein each of the oligonucleotide moieties comprises a plurality of inosines.