Surface plasmon resonance genosensor for the detection of Fusarium culmorum

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based DNA biosensors have been shown to be rapid, label-free, and selective tools for the detection of PCR products. Here, we describe an SPR sensor based on DNA hybridization for the detection of Fusarium culmorum, a fungal pathogen of wheat. A 0.57 kb DNA fragment of F. culmorum was amplified by specific primers, and a 25-mer oligonucleotide probe was selected within the sequence of the PCR amplicon. The biotin-labeled probe was immobilized on a streptavidin sensor chip and tested for biospecific interaction with PCR products of F. culmorum. The SPR biosensor was applied to the detection of F. culmorum in fungal cultures and in naturally infected wheat samples.