Biological warfare agent sensor system employing ruthenium-terminated oligonucleotides complementary to target live agent DNA sequences

Claim 1

A sensor system capable of detecting target live microorganisms in real time in a fluid environment, said sensor system being immersed in said fluid environment such that said sensor system is surrounded by said fluid environment, each of said target live microorganisms having unique nucleic acid, a portion of which, as a single strand, represents a target sequence of nucleotides, said sensor system comprising: A. a first assembly comprising: (a) a sensor cell in the form of a replaceable cartridge and comprising: (i) at least one electrode, and (ii) at least one single-stranded oligonucleic acid in electrical communication with said at least one electrode, said at least one single-stranded oligonucleic acid being complementary to said target sequence of nucleotides and therefore capable of hybridizing therewith to form a hybridization complex, said at least one single-stranded oligonucleic acid containing at least one electron donor moiety and at least one electron acceptor moiety, said electron donor moiety and said electron acceptor moiety being covalently attached to said at least one single-stranded oligonucleic acid, said sensor cell having an outer casing that defines an internal volume of said sensor cell; (b) at least one inlet port defined by said outer casing, said at least one inlet port allowing fluidic communication between said fluid environment surrounding said sensor system and said internal volume of said sensor cell, such that fluid from said fluid environment may be imported into said sensor cell, said fluid including cells having cell walls encapsulating nucleic acid; (c) a cell wall disrupter to lyse said cell walls such that said encapsulated nucleic acid is released into said internal volume of said sensor cell; (d) an electron transfer rate measuring system for measuring the electron transfer rate through said at least one single-stranded oligonucleic acid, said single-stranded oligonucleic acid exhibiting a base electron transfer rate in the absence of said target sequence of nucleotides and an increased electron transfer rate in the presence of said target sequence, having formed said hybridization complex wherein said electron transfer rate measuring system initiates electron transfer by a mechanism selected from the group consisting of cyclic voltammetry, pulse polarography, and impedance measurements; (e) a microcontroller to compare said measured electron transfer rate with said base electron transfer rate to determine the presence or absence of said target sequence of nucleotides in said fluid; and (f) a communication system for relaying information regarding said presence or absence of said target sequence of nucleotides in said fluid environment surrounding said sensor system to a user of said sensor system; and B. a second assembly comprising: (a) a power source for supplying power to operate said sensor system; and (b) a pump powered by said power source to import a fluid sample from said fluid environment surrounding said sensor system into said sensor cell through said at least one inlet port, wherein said first assembly and said second assembly are capable of fluidically and electrically communicating therebetween.