The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for amplifying, detecting, and optionally quantifying, nucleic acids. In one aspect the method comprises (a) providing a reaction volume comprising (i) a first electrode comprising an electrochemically-active conducting polymer, a first single-stranded nucleic acid molecule capable of hybridizing to a target nucleic acid, wherein the first nucleic acid molecule is covalently attached to the electrochemically-active conducting polymer, and (ii) a second electrode, (b) providing a reaction mixture to the reaction volume, the reaction mixture comprising a target nucleic acid, a nucleic acid polymerase, a redox couple, and nucleic acid amplification reagents, (c) amplifying the nucleic acid, and (d) measuring the impedance of the first electrode at least once during the nucleic acid amplification reaction.