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Author Spotlight: Single-Molecule Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Measurements Enabled by Plasmonic DNA Origami Nanoantennas
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Single-Molecule Analysis of MicroRNA and Logic Operations Using a Smart Plasmonic Nanobiosensor
Ying Zhang1, Zhenhua Shuai1, Hao Zhou1
1Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), College of Electronic and Optical Engineering & College of Microelectronic , Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications , 9 Wenyuan Road , Nanjing 210023 , China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|March 6, 2018
Summary
This study presents a novel plasmonic nanobiosensor for single-molecule detection of microRNA 21 (miR-21). The sensor achieves ultra-sensitive, real-time detection and enables DNA-based logic operations and biomemory.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biomolecular Engineering
- Plasmonics
Background:
- Single-molecule detection is crucial for molecular diagnostics, gene profiling, and environmental monitoring.
- Existing methods face challenges in sensitivity and real-time analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a smart plasmonic nanobiosensor for single-molecule level detection of microRNA 21 (miR-21).
- To demonstrate the sensor's capability for real-time detection, DNA-based logic operations, and biomemory applications.
Main Methods:
- Design of a core-shell gold-silver nanocube (Au@Ag NC) nanobiosensor modified with tetrahedron-structured DNA (tsDNA).
- Utilizing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectral wavelength shift for sensing.
- Verification of the sensing mechanism using three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) simulations.
Main Results:
- Achieved an average LSPR spectral wavelength shift of ~0.4 nm per single miR-21 hybridization event.
- Demonstrated real-time detection of miR-21 with attomolar (aM) sensitivity over a wide dynamic range (1 aM to 1 nM).
- Successfully enabled DNA-based logic operations and biomemory functions using miR-21, KpnI, and StuI-responsive assays.
Conclusions:
- The developed Au@Ag NC nanobiosensor offers a novel platform for single-molecule biomolecule detection.
- This technology holds significant promise for diverse biological and biomedical applications, including advanced diagnostics and data storage.
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