Quantum scale organic semiconductors for SERS detection of DNA methylation and gene expression.
Swarna GaneshKrishnan VenkatakrishnanBo TanPublished in: Nature communications (2020)
Cancer stem cells (CSC) can be identified by modifications in their genomic DNA. Here, we report a concept of precisely shrinking an organic semiconductor surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe to quantum size, for investigating the epigenetic profile of CSC. The probe is used for tag-free genomic DNA detection, an approach towards the advancement of single-molecule DNA detection. The sensor detected structural, molecular and gene expression aberrations of genomic DNA in femtomolar concentration simultaneously in a single test. In addition to pointing out the divergences in genomic DNA of cancerous and non-cancerous cells, the quantum scale organic semiconductor was able to trace the expression of two genes which are frequently used as CSC markers. The quantum scale organic semiconductor holds the potential to be a new tool for label-free, ultra-sensitive multiplexed genomic analysis.
Keyphrases
- single molecule
- label free
- gene expression
- dna methylation
- living cells
- circulating tumor
- copy number
- cell free
- molecular dynamics
- genome wide
- gold nanoparticles
- cancer stem cells
- water soluble
- induced apoptosis
- high resolution
- energy transfer
- loop mediated isothermal amplification
- sensitive detection
- poor prognosis
- long non coding rna
- oxidative stress
- nucleic acid
- climate change
- cell cycle arrest
- cell proliferation
- ionic liquid
- binding protein
- cell death
- fluorescent probe