Plasmonically Enhanced CRISPR/Cas13a‐Based Bioassay for Amplification‐Free Detection of Cancer‐Associated RNA

Abstract

Novel methods that enable sensitive, accurate and rapid detection of RNA would not only benefit fundamental biological studies but also serve as diagnostic tools for various pathological conditions, including bacterial and viral infections and cancer. Although highly sensitive, existing methods for RNA detection involve long turn‐around time and extensive capital equipment. Here, an ultrasensitive and amplification‐free RNA quantification method is demonstrated by integrating CRISPR‐Cas13a system with an ultrabright fluorescent nanolabel, plasmonic fluor. This plasmonically enhanced CRISPR‐powered assay exhibits nearly 1000‐fold lower limit‐of‐detection compared to conventional assay relying on enzymatic reporters. Using a xenograft tumor mouse model, it is demonstrated that this novel bioassay can be used for ultrasensitive and quantitative monitoring of cancer biomarker (lncRNA H19). The novel biodetection approach described here provides a rapid, ultrasensitive, and amplification‐free strategy that can be broadly employed for detection of various RNA biomarkers, even in resource‐limited settings.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 08, 2021
Source ID
10.1002/adhm.202100956

Entities

People

  • Jeremiah J Morrissey
  • Jingyi Luan
  • Lin Liu
  • Rajesh R Naik
  • Srikanth Singamaneni
  • Yixuan Wang
  • Zheyu Wang

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Science Foundation
  • United States Air Force
  • Washington University in St. Louis

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Molecular Genetics
  • Nanoscale Plasmonic Nanotechnology
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology