Disclosed are a method and a corresponding composition of matter for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms. The composition of matter includes a metal substrate, a probe oligonucleotide immobilized on the substrate; and an upstream oligonucleotide either immobilized on the substrate or in a solution in contact with the substrate. The probe oligonucleotide and the upstream oligonucleotide participate cooperatively in an invasive cleavage reaction when the substrate is contacted with a cleavage agent and a target nucleic acid. Under proper reactions conditions, the probe oligonucleotide, the upstream oligonucleotide, the target nucleotide, and the cleavage agent cooperative result in the formation of a cleavage product at or near the location of a single nucleotide polymorphism of interest.