Patent ID: 7456028

Claim:
A method for analyzing at least one microorganism in a solution, comprising the steps of: heat shocking said microorganism causing said microorganism to release heat shock polynucleotides; allowing said heat shock polynucleotides to transfer to a self-contained microassay structure having at least one integrated, individually addressable electrode and an assay surface, wherein said at least one integrated, individually addressable electrode is a detecting electrode constructed adjacent to or within a diffusion layer of said assay surface, said assay surface having a primary polynucleotide probe complementary to a portion of said heat shock polynucleotides; addition of a secondary polynucleotide probe complementary to a portion of said heat shock polynucleotides and having an electroactive complex covalently attached, wherein said electroactive complex may be activated such that an electric current is generated within said microassay structure, and wherein said electroactive complex does not transfer electrons directly to said detecting electrode for generation of said electric current; allowing said secondary polynucleotide probe and said electroactive complex to bind to said heat shock polynucleotides; activating said electroactive complex attached to said secondary polynucleotide probe; measuring said electric current generated by said activation of said electroactive complex at said detecting electrode.