Medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring will be revolutionized by cheap and portable monitors. Now, US researchers have adapted a glucose monitor to detect non-glucose analytes. The modification uses the enzyme invertase, which is released from a functional-DNA-invertase conjugate in the presence of the analyte. Invertase converts sucrose added to the sample to glucose, which is recorded as a proxy of the analyte concentration.

The researchers have successfully tested the modified device against a toxic metal, a disease marker and an illicit drug. It could be adapted easily for other compounds.

• Using personal glucose meters and functional DNA sensors to quantify a variety of analytical targets,
  Yu Xiang, Yi Lu
  Nature Chem. 2011.
  DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1092