A new electronic assay enables ultrasensitive detection of diverse biological analytes—nucleic acids, proteins and small molecules—on a single integrated circuit

Development of universal biosensors based on electrical readout is currently limited by the difficulty of electrical signal transduction upon capture of neutral analytes. Kelley and co-workers demonstrate an elegant approach wherein an amplified electrical current flows to a multiplexed electrode array in proportion with the binding of nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules—regardless of their inherent charge. Here we present a commentary on the strengths and limitations of this method.