Pattern-based detection of toxic metals in surface water with DNA polyfluorophores.
Heavy metal contamination of water can be toxic to humans and wildlife; thus the development of methods to detect this contamination is of high importance. Here we describe the design and application of DNA-based fluorescent chemosensors on microbeads to differentiate eight toxic metal ions in water. We developed and synthesized four fluorescent 2'-deoxyribosides of metal-binding ligands. A tetramer-length oligodeoxy-fluoroside (ODF) library of 6561 members was constructed and screened for sequences responsive to metal ions, of which seven sequences were selected. Statistical analysis of the response patterns showed successful differentiation of the analytes at concentrations as low as 100 nM. Sensors were able to classify water samples from 13 varied sites and quantify metal contamination in unknown specimens. The results demonstrate the practical potential of bead-based ODF chemosensors to analyze heavy metal contamination in water samples by a simple and inexpensive optical method.
Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (USA).
Lik Hang
LH
Yuen
Raphael M
RM
Franzini
Shenliang
S
Wang
Pete
P
Crisalli
Vijay
V
Singh
Wei
W
Jiang
Eric T
ET
Kool
D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011804:Quinolines / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D011804:Quinolines; C037219:quinoline
combinatorial chemistry; fluorescence; oligonucleotides; sensors; transition metals