A DNA-based two-way thermometer to report high and low temperatures

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Molecular Biology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Accurate microscale temperature measurement is crucial for biological research and applications.
• Existing temperature sensing methods may lack the precision or biocompatibility required for in vivo studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and characterize a DNA-based molecular thermometer for reporting temperature changes at the microscale.
• To develop a system with distinct optical outputs for low and high temperature conditions.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a DNA molecular beacon with a hairpin-to-random coil conformational change in response to temperature.
• Incorporated a fluorophore (Cy5) and quencher (BHQ3) for distance-dependent signaling.
• Integrated perylene as a microenvironment-sensitive probe.

Main Results:

• The DNA thermometer exhibited two distinct optical signal patterns based on temperature.
• At low temperatures, Cy5 was off and perylene was on, indicating a hairpin conformation.
• At high temperatures, Cy5 was on and perylene was off, indicating a random coil conformation.

Conclusions:

• The developed DNA-based thermometer provides a reversible and biocompatible method for microscale temperature sensing.
• This technology holds potential for real-time temperature monitoring in biological systems.