Highly sensitive SERS assay of genetically modified organisms in maize via a nanoflower substrate coupled with hybridization chain reaction amplification

A novel biosensor based on a high-density “hot spot” SERS substrate coupled with HCR amplification strategy was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of genetically modified organisms in maize.

Spectroscopic fingerprint of tea varieties by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The fingerprinting method is generally performed to determine specific molecules or the behavior of specific molecular bonds in the desired sample content. A novel, robust and simple method based on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was developed to obtain the full spectrum of tea varieties for detection of the purity of the samples based on the type of processing and cultivation. For this purpose, the fingerprint of seven different varieties of tea samples (herbal tea (rose hip, chamomile, linden, green and sage tea), black tea and earl grey tea) combined with silver colloids was obtained by SERS in the range of 200-2000 cm(-1) with an analysis time of 20 s. Each of the thirty-nine tea samples tested showed its own specific SERS spectra. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was also applied to separate of each tea variety and different models developed for tea samples including three different models for the herbal teas and two different models for black and earl grey tea samples. Herbal tea samples were separated using mean centering, smoothing and median centering pre-processing steps while baselining and derivatisation pre-processing steps were applied to SERS data of black and earl grey tea. The novel spectroscopic fingerprinting technique combined with PCA is an accurate, rapid and simple methodology for the assessment of tea types based on the type of processing and cultivation differences. This method is proposed as an alternative tool in order to determine the characteristics of tea varieties.

Development of rolling circle amplification based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy method for 35S promoter gene detection

In this study, we developed the genetically modified organism detection method by using the combination of rolling circle amplification (RCA) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). An oligonucleotide probe which is specific for 35S DNA promoter target was immobilised onto the gold slide and a RCA reaction was performed. A self-assembled monolayer was formed on gold nanorods using 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and the second probe of the 35S DNA promoter target was immobilised on the activated gold coated slide surfaces. Probes on the nanoparticles were hybridised with the target oligonucleotide. Quantification of the target concentration was performed via SERS spectra of DTNB on the nanorods. SERS spectra of target molecules were enhanced through the RCA reaction and the detection limit was found to be 6.3fM. The sensitivity of the developed RCA-SERS method was compared with another method which had been performed without using RCA reaction, and the detection limit was found to be 0.1pM. The correlation between the target concentration and the SERS signal was found to be linear, within the range of 1pM to 10nM for the traditional assay and 100fM to 100nM for the RCA assay. For the developed RCA-SERS assay, the specificity tests were performed using the 35S promoter of Bt-176 maize gene. It was found out that the developed RCA-SERS sandwich assay method is quite sensitive, selective and specific for target sequences in model and real systems.

SERS-based direct and sandwich assay methods for mir-21 detection

In this study, two different assay methods were developed using a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) label for sensitive miR-21 detection. In the first method (direct assay), the miR-21 probe was attached to SERS-labelled, rod-shaped gold nanoparticles and hybridised with the target miR-21, which was previously immobilised onto the gold slide. In the second method (sandwich assay), the target miR-21 was captured by an miR-21 probe immobilised onto the gold slide and hybridised with a second miR-21 probe immobilised on the SERS-labeled, rod-shaped gold nanoparticles. SERS signals of developed assays were obtained via a SERS spectrum of 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) on the rod-shaped nanoparticles. The calibration curves were plotted to measure the different concentrations of miR-21. The detection limits of the direct and sandwich assays, which last less than 40 min, were found to be 0.36 and 0.85 nM, respectively. The developed SERS-based methods offer rapid, selective, sensitive and easy detection of miR-21, especially compared to conventional PCR-based methods.

Microwave-accelerated surface modification of plasmonic gold thin films with self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols

A rapid surface modification technique for the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols on gold thin films using microwave heating in <10 min is reported. In this regard, SAMs of two model alkanethiols, 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUDA, to generate a hydrophilic surface) and undecanethiol (UDET, a hydrophobic surface), were successfully formed on gold thin films using selective microwave heating in (1) a semicontinuous fashion and (2) a continuous fashion at room temperature (24 h, control experiment, no microwave heating). The formation of SAMs of 11-MUDA and UDET was confirmed by contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The contact angles for water on SAMs formed by the selective microwave heating and conventional room temperature incubation technique (24 h) were measured to be similar for 11-MUDA and UDET. FT-IR spectroscopy results confirmed that the internal structures of SAMs prepared using both microwave heating and room temperature were similar. XPS results revealed that the organic and sulfate contaminants found on bare gold thin films were replaced by SAMs after the surface modification process had been conducted using both microwave heating and room temperature.

Surface modification of plasmonic nanostructured materials with thiolated oligonucleotides in 10 seconds using selective microwave heating

This study demonstrates the proof-of-principle of rapid surface modification of plasmonic nanostructured materials with oligonucleotides using low power microwave heating. Due to their interesting optical and electronic properties, silver nanoparticle films (SNFs, 2 nm thick) deposited onto glass slides were used as the model plasmonic nanostructured materials. Rapid surface modification of SNFs with oligonucleotides was carried out using two strategies (1) Strategy 1: for ss-oligonucleotides, surface hybridization and (2) Strategy 2: for ds-oligonucleotides, solution hybridization), where the samples were exposed to 10, 15, 30 and 60 seconds microwave heating. To assess the efficacy of our new rapid surface modification technique, identical experiments carried out without the microwave heating (i.e., conventional method), which requires 24 hours for the completion of the identical steps. It was found that SNFs can be modified with ss- and ds-oligonucleotides in 10 seconds, which typically requires several hours of incubation time for the chemisorption of thiol groups on to the planar metal surface using conventional techniques.

Functional gold nanorods: synthesis, self-assembly, and sensing applications

Gold nanorods have received much attention due to their unique optical and electronic properties which are dependent on their shape, size, and aspect ratio. This article covers in detail the synthesis, functionalization, self-assembly, and sensing applications of gold nanorods. The synthesis of three major types of rods is discussed: single-crystalline and pentahedrally-twinned rods, which are synthesized by wet chemistry methods, and polycrystalline rods, which are synthesized by templated deposition. Functionalization of these rods is usually necessary for their applications, but can often be problematic due to their surfactant coating. Thus, general strategies are provided for the covalent and noncovalent functionalization of gold nanorods. The review will then examine the significant progress that has been made in controllable assembly of nanorods into various arrangements. This assembly can have a large effect on measurable properties of rods, making it particularly applicable towards sensing of a variety of analytes. Other types of sensing not dependent on nanorod assembly, such as refractive-index based sensing, are also discussed.