Digital triplex DNA assay based on plasmonic nanocrystals.
A new analytical method has been developed to detect three kinds of DNA simultaneously based on magnetic beads and color-encoded plasmonic nanocrystals. Magnetic beads modified with capture DNA are employed to collect the specific target DNA, and color-encoded plasmonic nanocrystals are applied to signal the target through DNA hybridization. As a proof of concept, three types of representative metal nanocrystals of gold nanoparticle (AuNP), gold nanorod (AuNR), and gold/silver nanoparticle (Au/AgNP) were employed to signal three dissimilar virus-related protective antigen genes, Ebola virus (EV), Variola virus (VV), and Bacillus anthracis (BA), respectively. Detection limits of 0.5-3 fM were obtained showing the high sensitivity for DNA detection. The microscopic discrimination of the encoded nanoparticles allows simple, rapid, accurate, and cost-effective detection of multiple DNA molecules, indicative of the potential in practical applications. Graphical abstract Development of a novel digital triplex DNA assay based on single-countable color-encoded plasmonic nanocrystals.
Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China.|Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, School of Sciences Building, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, China.
Guohua
G
Li
Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China.|Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, School of Sciences Building, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, China.
Liang
L
Zhu
Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China. heyh@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn.|Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, School of Sciences Building, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, China. heyh@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn.
Yonghong
Y
He
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518035, China. tanhui@iccas.ac.cn.
Hui
H
Tan
Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China. sun.shuqing@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn.|Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, School of Sciences Building, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, China. sun.shuqing@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn.
Shuqing
S
Sun
D000881:Anthrax / Q000382:microbiology; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D061925:Immobilized Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D059346:Magnets / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D012899:Smallpox / Q000821:virology; D012901:Variola virus / Q000302:isolation & purification
D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004279:DNA, Viral; D061925:Immobilized Nucleic Acids; D012834:Silver; D006046:Gold
Color coding; DNA assay; Plasmonic nanocrystals; Single particle detection