Smartphone-Based Device for Colorimetric Detection of MicroRNA Biomarkers Using Nanoparticle-Based Assay

The detection of microRNAs (miRNAs) is emerging as a clinically important tool for the non-invasive detection of a wide variety of diseases ranging from cancers and cardiovascular illnesses to infectious diseases. Over the years, miRNA detection schemes have become accessible to clinicians, but they still require sophisticated and bulky laboratory equipment and trained personnel to operate. The exceptional computing ability and ease of use of modern smartphones coupled with fieldable optical detection technologies can provide a useful and portable alternative to these laboratory systems. Herein, we present the development of a smartphone-based device called Krometriks, which is capable of simple and rapid colorimetric detection of microRNA (miRNAs) using a nanoparticle-based assay. The device consists of a smartphone, a 3D printed accessory, and a custom-built dedicated mobile app. We illustrate the utility of Krometriks for the detection of an important miRNA disease biomarker, miR-21, using a nanoplasmonics-based assay developed by our group. We show that Krometriks can detect miRNA down to nanomolar concentrations with detection results comparable to a laboratory-based benchtop spectrophotometer. With slight changes to the accessory design, Krometriks can be made compatible with different types of smartphone models and specifications. Thus, the Krometriks device offers a practical colorimetric platform that has the potential to provide accessible and affordable miRNA diagnostics for point-of-care and field applications in low-resource settings.