A facile visualized solid-phase detection of virus-specific nucleic acid sequences through an upconversion activated...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Portable biosensors are crucial for point-of-care testing (POCT).
• Existing liquid-phase biosensors have limitations in cost, portability, and sample handling.
• Development of robust and visualized detection methods is needed for rapid diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a simple, visualized, solid-phase biosensor for quantitative detection of virus-specific nucleic acid sequences.
• To utilize luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) between upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).
• To establish a portable and stable platform for rapid nucleic acid detection.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a solid-phase biosensor integrating upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).
• Utilizing luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) for signal generation upon target nucleic acid binding.
• Quantitative analysis using a custom luminescence image capture device and ImageJ software.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a linear relationship between UCNP luminescence recovery and target concentration (5-100 nM).
• Achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.326 nM for virus-specific nucleic acid sequences.
• Successfully visualized and quantified luminescence recovery for accurate detection.

Conclusions:

• The developed solid-phase biosensor offers advantages in cost, portability, and stability over liquid-phase methods.
• The visualized LRET-based approach enables rapid acquisition and storage of detection data.
• This platform is a promising tool for fast, efficient, and reliable point-of-care testing (POCT).