scholarly journals Development of a Portable SPR Sensor for Nucleic Acid Detection

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yafeng Huang ◽  
Lulu Zhang ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Yichen Li ◽  
Luyao Liu ◽  
...  

Nucleic acid detection is of great significance in clinical diagnosis, environmental monitoring and food safety. Compared with the traditional nucleic acid amplification detection method, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing technology has the advantages of being label-free, having simple operation, and providing real-time detection. However, the angle scanning system in many SPR angle modulation detection applications usually requires a high-resolution stepper motor and complex mechanical structure to adjust the angle. In this paper, a portable multi-angle scanning SPR sensor was designed. The sensor only uses one stepping motor to rotate a belt, and the belt pulls the mechanical linkages of incident light and reflected light to move in opposite directions for achieving the SPR angle scanning mode that keeps the incident angle and reflected angle equal. The sensor has an angle scanning accuracy of 0.002°, response sensitivity of 3.72 × 10−6 RIU (refractive index unit), and an angle scanning range of 30°–74°. The overall size of the system is only 480 mm × 150 mm × 180 mm. The portable SPR sensor was used to detect nucleic acid hybridization on a gold film chip modified with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The result revealed that the sensor had high sensitivity and fast response, and could successfully accomplish the hybridization detection of target DNA solution of 0.01 μmol/mL.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0243319
Author(s):  
Takeshi Hanami ◽  
Tetsuya Tanabe ◽  
Takuya Hanashi ◽  
Mitsushiro Yamaguchi ◽  
Hidetaka Nakata ◽  
...  

Here, we report a rapid and ultra-sensitive detection technique for fluorescent molecules called scanning single molecular counting (SSMC). The method uses a fluorescence-based digital measurement system to count single molecules in a solution. In this technique, noise is reduced by conforming the signal shape to the intensity distribution of the excitation light via a circular scan of the confocal region. This simple technique allows the fluorescent molecules to freely diffuse into the solution through the confocal region and be counted one by one and does not require statistical analysis. Using this technique, 28 to 62 aM fluorescent dye was detected through measurement for 600 s. Furthermore, we achieved a good signal-to-noise ratio (S/N = 2326) under the condition of 100 pM target nucleic acid by only mixing a hybridization-sensitive fluorescent probe, called Eprobe, into the target oligonucleotide solution. Combination of SSMC and Eprobe provides a simple, rapid, amplification-free, and high-sensitive target nucleic acid detection system. This method is promising for future applications to detect particularly difficult to design primers for amplification as miRNAs and other short oligo nucleotide biomarkers by only hybridization with high sensitivity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Day ◽  
Tiffany-Heather Ulep ◽  
Elizabeth Budiman ◽  
Laurel Dieckhaus ◽  
Babak Safavinia ◽  
...  

AbstractAn emulsion loop-mediated isothermal amplification (eLAMP) platform was developed to reduce the impact that contamination has on assay performance. Ongoing LAMP reactions within the emulsion droplets cause a decrease in interfacial tension, causing a decrease in droplet size, which results in decreased light scatter intensity due to Mie theory. Light scatter intensity was monitored via spectrophotometers and fiber optic cables placed at 30° and 60°. Light scatter intensities collected at 3 min, 30° were able to statistically differentiate 103 and 106 CFU/µL initial Escherichia coli O157:H7 concentrations compared to NTC (0 CFU/µL), while the intensity at 60° were able to statistically differentiate 106 CFU/µL initial concentrations and NTC. Control experiments were conducted to validate nucleic acid detection versus bacterial adsorption, finding that the light scatter intensities change is due specifically to ongoing LAMP amplification. After inducing contamination of bulk LAMP reagents, specificity lowered to 0% with conventional LAMP, while the eLAMP platform showed 87.5% specificity. We have demonstrated the use of angle-dependent light scatter intensity as a means of real-time monitoring of an emulsion LAMP platform and fabricated a smartphone-based monitoring system that showed similar trends as spectrophotometer light scatter data, validating the technology for a field deployable platform.


Author(s):  
Weihua Yang ◽  
Xiaofei Dang ◽  
Qingxi Wang ◽  
Mingjie Xu ◽  
Qianqian Zhao ◽  
...  

AbstractCorona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently emerged life-threatening disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Real-time fluorescent PCR (RT-PCR) is the clinical standard for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection. To detect SARS-CoV-2 early and control the disease spreading on time, a faster and more convenient method for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detecting, RT-LAMP method (reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) was developed. RNA reverse transcription and nucleic acid amplification were performed in one step at 63 °C isothermal conditions, and the results can be obtained within 30 minutes. ORF1ab gene, E gene and N gene were detected at the same time. ORF1ab gene was very specific and N gene was very sensitivity, so they can guarantee both sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2. The sensitivity of RT-LAMP assay is similar to RT-PCR, and specificity was 99% as detecting 208 clinical specimens. The RT-LAMP assay reported here has the advantages of rapid amplification, simple operation, and easy detection, which is useful for the rapid and reliable clinical diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.


Author(s):  
Isao Yokota ◽  
Peter Y Shane ◽  
Kazufumi Okada ◽  
Yoko Unoki ◽  
Yichi Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background COVID-19 has rapidly evolved to become a global pandemic due largely to the transmission of its causative virus through asymptomatic carriers. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic people is an urgent priority for the prevention and containment of disease outbreaks in communities. However, few data are available in asymptomatic persons regarding the accuracy of PCR testing. Additionally, although self-collected saliva has significant logistical advantages in mass screening, its utility as an alternative specimen in asymptomatic persons is yet to be determined. Methods We conducted a mass-screening study to compare the utility of nucleic acid amplification, such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, using nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and saliva samples from each individual in two cohorts of asymptomatic persons: the contact tracing cohort and the airport quarantine cohort. Results In this mass-screening study including 1,924 individuals, the sensitivity of nucleic acid amplification testing with nasopharyngeal and saliva specimens were 86% (90%CI:77-93%) and 92% (90%CI:83-97%), respectively, with specificities greater than 99.9%. The true concordance probability between the nasopharyngeal and saliva tests was estimated at 0.998 (90%CI:0.996-0.999) on the estimated airport prevalence at 0.3%. In positive individuals, viral load was highly correlated between NPS and saliva. Conclusion Both nasopharyngeal and saliva specimens had high sensitivity and specificity. Self-collected saliva is a valuable specimen to detect SARS-CoV-2 in mass screening of asymptomatic persons.


Author(s):  
Shinnosuke Inoue ◽  
Woon-Hong Yeo ◽  
Jong-Hoon Kim ◽  
Jae-Hyun Chung ◽  
Kyong-Hoon Lee ◽  
...  

Tuberculosis (TB) is an epidemic affecting one-third of the world’s population, mostly in developing and low-resource settings. People having active pulmonary TB are considered highly infectious; therefore, it is critical to identify and treat these patients rapidly before spreading to others. However, the most reliable TB diagnostic methods of bacterial culture or nucleic acid amplification are time-consuming and expensive. The challenge of TB diagnosis lies in highly sensitive and specific screening with low cost. Here, we present an LNA-modified microtip-sensor, which is capable of selectively detecting low-abundance DNA from bacteria. When genomic DNA of Bacillus Calmette-Gue´rin (BCG, a surrogate marker of Mycobacterium bovis), and genomic DNA of Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epi) are used, the microtip-sensor yields the detection limit of 1,000 copies/mL within 20 minutes. The high sensitivity and specificity approaching nucleic acid amplification methods can potentially overcome the current challenges for rapid TB screening.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S42-S43
Author(s):  
Rose Lee ◽  
Helena De Puig Guixe ◽  
Jeffrey Dvorin ◽  
James Collins

Abstract Background Malaria control and eradication have been hampered by asymptomatic carriage which serves as a parasite reservoir. Low-density infections (< 100 parasites/microliter) frequently fall below the limit of detection (LOD) of microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) which are antigen-based tests. Molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction are capable of higher sensitivity yet remain impractical for resource-limited settings. We describe development of an isothermal assay using the nucleic acid detection platform SHERLOCK (Specific High-Sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter UnLOCKing), which may also be increasingly important as there has been rising detection of histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) gene deletions in Plasmodium spp. HRP2 is the most commonly used antigen in RDTs and deletion of this gene would render many RDTs obsolete. Methods SHERLOCK leverages the endonucleases of CRISPR-associated microbial adaptive immunity. Cas12a is an RNA-guided, DNA-cleaving enzyme, which can be programmed with guide RNAs to cleave nontarget reporter ssDNA. We exploit the nonspecific degradation of labeled ssDNA to detect the presence of the dsDNA target that activated Cas12a (Figure 1). Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) coupled with Cas12a detection enables a lower LOD. Plasmodium falciparum whole genomic DNA was compared with parasites cultured in red blood cells (RBCs) with known parasitemia and boiled at 95°C for 5 minutes for lysis of RBCs/parasites then diluted 1:2.5 to prevent solidification. Results This SHERLOCK assay detected simulated Plasmodium falciparum infection at attomolar LODs when applied to whole genomic DNA and simulated samples of infected RBCs spiked into whole blood. The genomic assay detected down to 0.2 parasites/microliter and the simulated sample detected to 10 parasites/microliter in the final reaction volume. In comparison, LODs from the initial input volume was 5aM and 250aM, respectively (Figure 2). Conclusion We demonstrate an isothermal nucleic acid detection platform capable of diagnosis in 60 minutes in a one-pot assay requiring minimal sample preparation and reaching an LOD recommended by the WHO for malaria eradication. In summary, we illustrate the utility of the SHERLOCK platform in application to malaria and global health. Disclosures All Authors: No reported Disclosures.


The Analyst ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 145 (23) ◽  
pp. 7528-7533
Author(s):  
Feiyue Teng ◽  
Xinpei Wu ◽  
Tao Hong ◽  
Gary B. Munk ◽  
Matthew Libera

We use electron-beam patterned functional microgels to integrate self-reporting molecular beacons, dielectric microlenses, and solid-phase and/or solution-phase nucleic acid amplification in a viral-detection microarray model.


2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 436-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Jensen Søe ◽  
Mikkel Rohde ◽  
Jens Mikkelsen ◽  
Peter Warthoe

BACKGROUND Nucleic acid tests that can simultaneously detect multiple targets with high sensitivity, specificity, and speed are highly desirable. To meet this need, we developed a new approach we call the isoPCR method. METHODS The isoPCR method is a 2-stage nested-like nucleic acid amplification method that combines a single multiplex preamplification PCR with subsequent distinct detection of specific targets by use of isothermal amplification. We compared isoPCR to nested quantitative PCR (qPCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and nested LAMP (PCR followed by LAMP), for detection of DNA from Candida glabrata. We evaluated the method's multiplex capability for detecting low copy numbers of pathogens commonly involved in sepsis. RESULTS IsoPCR provided detection of 1 copy of Candida glabrata, an LOD that was 5-fold lower than a nested qPCR assay (5 copies), while the amplification time was simultaneously halved. Similarly, the LOD for isoPCR was lower than that for a LAMP assay (1000 copies) and a nested LAMP assay (5 copies). IsoPCR required recognition of 6 regions for detection, thereby providing a theoretically higher specificity compared to nested qPCR (4 regions). The isoPCR multiplexing capability was demonstrated by simultaneous detection of 4 pathogens with individual LODs of 10 copies or fewer. Furthermore, the specificity of isoPCR was demonstrated by successful pathogen detection from samples with more than 1 pathogen present. CONCLUSIONS IsoPCR provides a molecular diagnostic tool for multiplex nucleic acid detection, with an LOD down to 1 copy, high theoretical specificity, and halving of the amplification time compared to a nested qPCR assay.


2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 3606-3608 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. W. Peterson ◽  
I. Martin ◽  
W. Demczuk ◽  
A. Bharat ◽  
L. Hoang ◽  
...  

We developed a real-time PCR assay to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with ciprofloxacin resistance in specimens submitted for nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT). All three single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) targets produced high sensitivity and specificity values. The presence of ≥2 SNPs was sufficient to predict ciprofloxacin resistance in an organism.


Sexual Health ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Whiley ◽  
Suzanne M. Garland ◽  
Geoffrey Harnett ◽  
Gary Lum ◽  
David W. Smith ◽  
...  

Nucleic acid detection tests (NADT) have considerable benefits for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC), including high sensitivity across a range of specimen types and use under widely differing settings and conditions. However, sexual health practitioners and others who use data generated by NADT for GC should be aware of some important limitations of these tests. False-positive results caused by cross reaction with commensal Neisseria species have been observed in many assays, and have lead to unacceptably low positive-predictive values in some patient populations. Further, false-negative results can be caused by GC sequence variation, with some gonococci lacking certain NADT target sequences. This review examines the issues associated with gonococcal NADT and considers best practice for use of these assays based on current knowledge. We emphasise the need for supplementary testing and extensive assay validation, and suggest appropriate strategies for these requirements irrespective of the setting in which they are used. Further, we highlight the need to maintain culture-based testing for certain specimen sites as well as for antimicrobial resistance surveillance.


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