Potentially cancer causing changes in DNA structure can be detected by acoustic waves. 

Mike Thompson at the University of Toronto, Canada, and colleagues used an acoustic wave sensor to detect damage to DNA. A DNA lesion where one half of a base pair is missing is a common form of DNA damage. These lesions can be caused by pollutants or exposure to radiation, and can create permanent mutations that are transmitted down future cell generations. 

'Chemicals in the environment are known to cause a number of diseases, including various forms of cancer. One aspect of this is direct damage to genetic material,' said Thompson. 

Thompson's team deposited samples of DNA on the surface of a quartz crystal. When an electric field is applied to the crystal, an acoustic wave - a high frequency sound wave - is generated. The wave travels through the crystal and through the layer of DNA. Damaged DNA causes measurable changes in the frequency and speed of the wave.

The researchers say this technique has huge potential. 'The methods developed are going to be commercialised through the development of specific instrumentation for measurement of the interaction of small molecules which cause DNA damage,' said Thompson. 

 

Michele Zgraggen