Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Visual Detection of Multiple Nucleic Acids in a Capillary Array
Published on: November 15, 2017
A zinc finger protein array for the visual detection of specific DNA sequences for diagnostic applications
Moon-Soo Kim1, Gulnaz Stybayeva, Ji Youn Lee
1Genome Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Abstract:
The visual detection of specific double-stranded DNA sequences possesses great potential for the development of diagnostics. Zinc finger domains provide a powerful scaffold for creating custom DNA-binding proteins that recognize specific DNA sequences. We previously demonstrated sequence-enabled reassembly of TEM-1 β-lactamase (SEER-LAC), a system consisting of two inactive fragments of β-lactamase each linked to engineered zinc finger proteins (ZFPs). Here the SEER-LAC system was applied to develop ZFP arrays that function as simple devices to identify bacterial double-stranded DNA sequences. The ZFP arrays provided a quantitative assay with a detection limit of 50 fmol of target DNA. The method could distinguish target DNA from non-target DNA within 5 min. The ZFP arrays provided sufficient sensitivity and high specificity to recognize specific DNA sequences. These results suggest that ZFP arrays have the potential to be developed into a simple and rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic for the multiplexed detection of pathogens.
Related Concept Videos
DNA Microarrays
FISH - Fluorescent In-situ Hybridization

