A Universal Polymerase Chain Reaction Developer

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2016 Feb 5;55(6):2157-60. doi: 10.1002/anie.201511010. Epub 2015 Dec 16.

Abstract

The versatility of PCR, the gold standard for amplification of DNA targets, is hampered by the laborious, multi-step detection based on gel electrophoresis. We propose a one-step, one-tube method for the rapid (5 min) naked-eye detection of PCR products, based on controlled aggregation of gold nanoparticles. Our method is universal, instrument-free, and ultra-sensitive, as it could detect as low as 0.01 zeptomoles of HIV template DNA in an excess of interfering human genomic DNA.

Keywords: DNA detection; colorimetric sensing; gold nanoparticles; polymerase chain reaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA / analysis
  • DNA / genetics
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • HIV / genetics
  • HIV / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*

Substances

  • Gold
  • DNA