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Advanced graphene oxide-based paper sensor for colorimetric detection of miRNA

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Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), found in blood and body fluids, have emerged as potential non-invasive biomarkers for disease and injury. miRNAs are quantitatively evaluated using typical RNA analysis methods such as the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, microarrays, and Northern blot, all of which require complex procedures and expensive reagents. To utilize miRNAs as practical biomarkers, it will be helpful to develop simple and user-friendly sensors. In this study, a paper-based miRNA sensor was developed by combining two methods: (1) target-recycled DNAzyme (Dz) amplification and (2) graphene oxide-assisted Dz blotting on paper. The Dz spots on paper caused a miRNA-dependent color change in presence of colorimetric reagents and facilitated the quantification of absolute amount of the target miRNA, irrespective of the volume, with high reproducibility. This approach is technologically straightforward and enables quantification of as low as 7.75 fmol miRNA using a portable smartphone.

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Data availability

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

ABTS :

2,2-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt

Dz :

DNAzyme

FAM-Dz :

Fluorescein-labeled Dz strand

FRET :

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer

G :

Guanine

GO :

Graphene oxide

LOD :

Limit of detection

miR-122 :

MiRNA-122

miRNA :

MicroRNA

S :

Slope

SEM :

Standard error of the mean

SD :

Standard deviation

ssDNA :

Single-stranded DNA

Sup :

Supernatant

TMSD :

Toehold-mediated strand displacement

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2020R1F1A1072921) and the Korea Institute of Toxicology (Grant No. KK-2101–01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Predictive Toxicology Department, Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34114, Korea

    Jieon Lee, Sangwoo Lee & Woo-Keun Kim

  2. Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Korea

    Jieon Lee & Woo-Keun Kim

  3. Center for Nano-Bio Measurement, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon, 34113, Korea

    Hee-Kyung Na

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Correspondence to Jieon Lee.

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Lee, J., Na, HK., Lee, S. et al. Advanced graphene oxide-based paper sensor for colorimetric detection of miRNA. Microchim Acta 189, 35 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-021-05140-1

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