Surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate based on a self-assembled monolayer for use in gene diagnostics

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biotechnology
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Developing sensitive and selective methods for cancer gene detection is crucial for early diagnosis and personalized treatment.
• Existing methods may involve radioactive labels or lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity.
• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) offers a promising label-free or low-label detection technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel SERS-active substrates for the detection of cancer-related genes.
• To create a non-radioactive detection system with high sensitivity and selectivity.
• To investigate the application of this SERS-based approach for BRCA1 breast cancer gene diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SERS-active platforms using nanostructured metallic substrates and self-assembled monolayers.
• Design and synthesis of Raman active dye-labeled DNA gene probes (SERGen probes).
• Characterization of the DNA-SERS substrate interface using atomic force microscopy.
• Hybridization assays to detect complementary DNA targets, such as the BRCA1 gene.

Main Results:

• Successful development of SERS-active substrates functionalized with DNA probes.
• Demonstration of the ability of SERGen probes to detect complementary DNA targets through hybridization.
• Characterization confirmed the formation of a stable DNA-SERS interface.
• The developed method showed potential for sensitive and selective detection without radioactive labels.

Conclusions:

• The developed SERS-active substrates and SERGen probes represent a significant advancement in non-radioactive cancer gene detection.
• This approach offers high sensitivity and selectivity, making it suitable for clinical diagnostics.
• The method holds great potential for the early and accurate diagnosis of cancers, exemplified by BRCA1 gene detection.