Sensor measures mass of one DNA molecule

First, it was a lone bacterium; then, a solitary virus. Now, scientists have pushed the limits of ultrasensitive detection even farther to determine the mass of a single DNA molecule. Such precise biosensor measurements could lead to faster and more-accurate early screening for HIV infection, cancer, and other diseases.

GOLDEN TOUCH. This microcantilever, bearing a 40-nanometer gold dot, can detect a single DNA molecule.