(729g) Molecular Barcode-Labeled Aptamers for Biosensor Applications

Techniques for parallel measurement of cellular molecules such as proteins and small molecules are important for complete understanding of cellular function and the development of diagnostic tools with greater accuracy and information content. Aptamers, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that bind to other molecules with high specificity and affinity, are gaining popularity as biosensing agents. Relative to antibodies, especially, aptamers are comparatively easy to modify and design for biosensing applications. In this presentation, we will describe our efforts at combining aptamers with molecular barcodes (MBs). MBs are a set of unique DNA labels that can be used to detect a single nucleic acid species from a mixed population. The MB serves as a unique identifier of the aptamer and the target molecule to which it binds. We are applying MB-labeled aptamers for the development of new parallel analytical techniques for biological molecules. We will describe our results for both small molecule and protein quantification.