FETNA: Field-Effect Transistor Based Nucleic Acid Mass Measurement

This article presents a novel nucleic acid (NA) mass measurement technique utilizing an open-gate junction field-effect transistor (OG-JFET) to quantify the mass of NA molecules. A low-cost, portable readout interface was designed, developed, and characterized to generate transverse I–V characterization curves for the OG-JFET in the presence of NA molecules with nanogram-level mass. The study thoroughly evaluates the functionality of the interface system, which incorporates a custom-built electro-fluidic package specifically designed for measuring the mass of single-strand deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) with a sensitivity of 0.48 ng. The results underscore the system’s key advantages, including portability, affordability, and precision, positioning it as an ideal solution for various applications in life sciences and industry.