A one-step highly sensitive method for DNA detection using dynamic light scattering

    Authors

    Q. Dai; X. Liu; J. Coutts; L. Austin;Q. Huo

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Am. Chem. Soc.

    Keywords

    NANOPARTICLE PROBES; GOLD NANOPARTICLES; HYBRIDIZATION; NANOCRYSTALS; MICROARRAYS; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

    Abstract

    A one-step homogenous DNA detection method with high sensitivity was developed using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coupled with dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement. Citrate-protected AuNPs with a diameter of 30 nm were first functionalized with two seats of single-stranded DNA probes and then used as optical probes for DNA detection. In the presence of target DNA, the hybridization between target DNA and the two nanoparticle probes caused the formation of nanoparticle dimers, timers, and oligomers. As a result the nanoparticle aggregation increased the average diameter of the whole nanoparticle population, which can be monitored simply by DLS measurement. A quantative correlaiton can be established between the average diameter of the nanoparticles and the target DNA concentration. This DLS-based assay is extremely easy to conduct and requires no additional seperation and amplification steps. The detection limit is around 1 pM, which is 4 orders of magnitude better than that of light-absorption-based methods. Single base pair mismatched DNAs can be readily discriminated from perfectly matched target DNAs using this assay.

    Journal Title

    Journal of the American Chemical Society

    Volume

    130

    Issue/Number

    26

    Publication Date

    1-1-2008

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    8138

    Last Page

    +

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000257152800015

    ISSN

    0002-7863

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