Patent ID: 8597492

Claim:
A method of detecting a single-stranded DNA molecule having a particular gene sequence comprising: determining a target strand of DNA having a particular gene sequence; preparing a single-stranded template DNA that contains a complementary gene sequence to the target DNA strand; coupling the template DNA strand to first ends of two single-walled carbon nanotubes by establishing an amide bond between each of the first ends and the template DNA strand, wherein the combination of the template DNA and the two nanotubes forms a probe; applying an electric potential between the second ends of the two nanotubes to form a dielectrophoretic field between the nanotube first ends; applying a test solution containing single-stranded DNA to the probe; measuring a first conductance of the probe before applying the test solution and measuring a second conductance of the probe a second time after applying the test solution; and determining a presence of the target strand of DNA in the test solution, the target DNA having a complementary gene sequence to the template DNA, when the conductance after application of test solution is greater than the conductance before application of test solution by a threshold.