Detection and Quantitation of Heavy Metal Ions on Bona Fide DVDs Using DNA Molecular Beacon Probes

A sensitive and cost-effective method for the simultaneous quantitation of trace amounts of Hg(2+) and Pb(2+) in real-world samples has been developed using DNA molecular beacon probes bound to bona fide digital video discs (DVDs). With specially designed T-rich or G-rich loop sequences, the detection is based on the strong T-Hg(2+)-T coordination chemistry of Hg(2+) and the formation of G-quadruplexes induced by Pb(2+), respectively. In particular, the presence of metal cations leads to hairpin opening and exposure of the terminal biotin moiety for binding nanogold-streptavidin conjugates. The recognition signal was subsequently enhanced by gold nanoparticle-promoted silver deposition, which leads to quantifiable digital signals upon reading with a standard computer drive. This method exhibits a wide response range and low detection limits for both Hg(2+) and Pb(2+). In addition, the quantitative determination of heavy metals in food products (e.g., rice samples) has been demonstrated and the method compares favorably with other optical sensors developed recently.