MNAzyme-Assisted Nucleic Acid Lateral Flow Assay for Cost-Effective, On-Site Mercury Detection

Mercury ions (Hg²⁺) are toxic heavy metals present in the environment that pose significant health risks. An advanced detection system could allow for a prompt response and alleviate serious damage to humans. In this study, we developed a cost-effective, on-site detection method for Hg²⁺ using a multicomponent nucleic acid enzyme (MNAzyme)-assisted nucleic acid lateral flow assay (NALFA). The MNAzyme, which was engineered to contain thymine-thymine mismatches, is responsive only to the presence of Hg²⁺ and exerts efficient cleavage activity on substrates that can be captured by the NALFA strip, and thus the proposed system enables the visual detection of Hg²⁺ in the NALFA strip. Our assay demonstrated sufficient detection sensitivity and specificity to meet the WHO standards, offering a good practical alternative for rapid environmental and public health monitoring.