Patent ID: 9310357
Filing Date: 2016-04-12
CPC Classification: C12N,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A sensor for detecting a target, comprising: a detection complex comprising: (i) an aptamer having a binding domain for said target, and (ii) a first oligonucleotide having a sequence complementary to a region of said aptamer, wherein in the absence of said target the aptamer and said complementary region of said first oligonucleotide form an intermediate combination, and wherein in the presence of said target the intermediate combination dissociates; a second oligonucleotide having a sequence that interacts with a region of said first oligonucleotide to form a duplex structure only when said first oligonucleotide is dissociated from said intermediate combination, wherein said second oligonucleotide comprises a metal nanoparticle, a redox reporter, an electrically-conducting or insulating group, a chelating group, or an electroconductive fluorophore; and a reporter molecule having a region that interacts with said duplex structure to form a reporter complex, wherein said reporter complex initiates a reporter signal.