Carbon Nanotube Methods for Molecular Identification of Fish Species

Identification of particular fish species based on specific DNA sequences is not currently time or cost effective, but morphological identification is not always possible during early development stages. The project proposed seeks to develop a microfluidic based approach using DNA hybridization, coupled with a sensitive detection method based on the use of carbon nanotubes to rapidly identify fish from very small tissue samples. The Phase I part of this project will evaluate two innovative detection methods using single walled carbon nanotubes to provide the sensitivity to detect DNA sequences without the need for PCR amplification of the fish DNA. Comparison of the two detection methods as part of this work will be used to select the method to be implemented in the Phase II effort. In addition, the need for DNA extraction from fish tissue as part of an integrated microdevice will be evaluated.