A 3D printed mini-gel electrophoresis system for rapid and inexpensive DNA nanoswitch biosensing

Gel electrophoresis has been a cornerstone laboratory technique for decades, yet it is often viewed as cumbersome, costly, and has remained confined to laboratory settings. Recent advances in DNA nanotechnology have repurposed electrophoresis as a primary readout for some biosensing applications such as DNA nanoswitches, where a conformational change in a DNA structure indicates the presence of a target molecule. Conventional gel electrophoresis setups not ideal for such targeted applications, with moderate equipment cost, excessive reagent use, and time-consuming processes. Here, we adopt a reductionist, application-driven approach to redesign gel electrophoresis specifically for DNA nanoswitch-based detection. We present a fully 3D-printable mini gel electrophoresis system that incorporates conductive plastic electrodes, demonstrating performance comparable to conventional systems using platinum electrodes. By optimizing the inter-electrode distance and running parameters, our system resolves the on/off states of DNA nanoswitches in as little as one minute. We further show that the device operates reliably at low voltages, including when powered by a USB power bank, and even enables instrument-free nanoswitch readout using an LED with a cell-phone camera. Our design substantially reduces the cost, voltage requirements, material usage, operational complexity, and experiment time. These improvements make gel-based biosensing more practical outside traditional laboratory environments, paving the way for broader adoption of gel electrophoresis in point-of-care and resource-limited settings.