Bioimpedance Spectroscopy as a potential technique to detect label-free PCR products

Abstract

Abstract PCR is a molecular technique that multiplies DNA fragments in a logarithmical way. qPCR uses fluoroscopic dyes or probes to quantify amplicons but it is a complex and expensive technique that should be performed by highly trained personnel. PCR has been used in a wide variety of disciplines such as in food sciences, organ transplant, odontology, oncology and lately, as the standard diagnostic technique for COVID-19. Even when qPCR is a reliable and robust technique, it is hardly accessible for developing countries for its complex labelling procedures and expensive instrumentation, for that, it is of big relevance to search for simpler and cheaper alternative technologies for the detection and analysis of DNA. In this work, we explore the feasibility of using multifrequency bioimpedance measurements to detect label-free PCR products as a proof of principle for the future development of a gene biosensor on the basis of PCR and bioimpedance measurements.