AuNP-Modulated qPCR: An Optimized System for Detecting MIR Biophotons Released in DNA Replication

Living systems can utilize energy with a high efficiency. Biophotons are proposed to modulate biological functions with such efficiency; however, the underlying mechanism remains unexplored, especially due to the challenge of ultraweak mid-infrared (MIR) light detection and the theoretical perturbation from spontaneous MIR emission. Here, we proposed an optimized system to detect MIR biophotons generated in the hydrolysis of deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs, energy-storing molecules similar to ATP). The system used a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) that was modulated by gold nanoparticle (AuNP) concentration and thus by the inter-AuNP distance, which depends on the concentration above. The measurements indicate that 33- and 84-THz photons are released by dNTP hydrolysis, which can drive DNA replication. Our findings provide a novel chain-reaction-based method for detecting MIR photons in solution, and pave a way for photon-based insights to understand the highly efficient energy utilization of biology.