Optical and electrochemical DNA nanobiosensors

Abstract

In the past two decades, nanoscale advanced materials have been explored for biosensing molecules, so new horizons have opened up for identifying and quantifying biomolecules, and possible early diagnosis of diseases. DNA nanobiosensors show promise. This article provides an overview on their optical and electrochemical aspects. We discuss recent progress in this field, describing basic concepts of molecular beacons and quantum dots as optical nano-imaging systems. Also, carbon nanotubes provide a platform for development and advancement of electrochemical DNA nanobiosensors, which are increasingly being implemented as robust tools for detection in biomedical sciences. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.