The invention relates to the detection of the binding of analyte
molecules, for example biopolymer molecules, to immobilized capture
substance molecules. The invention consists in using semiconductor wafers
(chips) with electrical circuits in spatial proximity to a surface area
coated with capture substance molecules and loading the binding of the
analyte molecules to the capture substance molecules with co-bound
electrically conductive nanoparticles so that the nanoparticles can act
upon the electrical circuits either through changes in the electrical
stray capacitance or by generating electric currents, thus making the
binding of the analyte molecules electronically detectable.