Acoustic physics of surface-attached biochemical species

In this Commentary, we discuss the paper Quantitative Determination of Size and Shape of Surface-Bound DNA Using an Acoustic Wave Sensor [Tsortos et al., Biophys. J. 94(7), 2706-2715 (2008)]. The paper under discussion presents a novel theory that uses the response of a Shear-Horizontal Surface Acoustic Wave device to characterize surface-attached double- and triple-strand DNA. The authors relate the length and curvature of the DNA strands to the interfacial viscosity using classical polymer theory. In this Commentary, we discuss their results in the broader context of acoustic wave detection of biochemical interactions and some of the factors involved when probing "soft" surfaces. Specifically, we present a review of interfacial coupling and slip, and discuss how these phenomena can affect biosensors employing acoustic wave detection techniques.