One of the limiting factors in DNA analyses, in terms of both the time taken and the need to send samples to a laboratory for testing. There are a number of modern point-of-use technologies that circumvent the need for amplification (see FANs methods explainers). Currently these cannot compete on price-per-test with “traditional” laboratory-based Polymerase Chain Reaction amplification methods.
In this paper (purchase required) the authors have developed a novel point-of-use biosensor that can detect trace levels of different species' DNA in parallel (“multiplex”). They conducted proof of concept for low-level meat species contamination in complex food matrices. The sensor is based on Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS – a technique that has been used for sensors to detect clinical markers in biological samples). The authors have enhanced the technique by using argonaute endonuclease coupled with guide DNA to specifically cleave the target nucleic acids and maximise the signal. The system is programmable, and the authors report that controllable polystyrene nanoparticles encapsulating SERS probes significantly improved detection sensitivity.
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