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Updated: Feb 6, 2026
09:17
Assembly of Gold Nanorods into Chiral Plasmonic Metamolecules Using DNA Origami Templates
Published on: March 5, 2019
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Sensing Picomolar Concentrations of RNA Using Switchable Plasmonic Chirality
Timon Funck1, Francesca Nicoli1, Anton Kuzyk2
1Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539, München, Germany.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|August 8, 2018
Summary
This study introduces a DNA origami sensor for detecting tiny RNA sequences. The sensor uses gold nanorods and circular dichroism to identify specific viral RNA with high sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Detecting small RNA sequences like microRNA and viral RNA requires highly sensitive and specific methods.
- Current methods may lack the necessary precision for certain applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for sensitive and selective RNA detection using DNA origami.
- To demonstrate the capability of this method for detecting viral RNA sequences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a reconfigurable DNA origami template with a chiral arrangement of gold nanorods.
- Employed molecular recognition via nucleic acid sequences to switch the DNA structure into specific chiral states.
- Measured changes in plasmonic circular dichroism (CD) spectra to detect target RNA.
Main Results:
- Achieved sensitive and selective detection of a target RNA sequence from the hepatitis C virus genome.
- Demonstrated that RNA binding to the complementary sequence within the lock mechanism induces a defined state in the plasmonic system.
- Detected specific RNA sequences at concentrations as low as 100 picomolar (pm).
Conclusions:
- The developed DNA origami-based sensor offers a highly sensitive and specific platform for RNA detection.
- This method shows promise for the accurate identification of viral RNA in biological samples.
- The approach leverages plasmonic properties and molecular recognition for advanced biosensing applications.
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