Korea uses gold nanoparticles to develop diagnostic platform for COVID-19

Researchers from Chung-Ang University in South Korea have introduced a novel nanotechnology-based platform that can shorten the time required for COVID-19 diagnosis. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-PCR detection platform prepared using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the cavities of Au ‘nanodimple’ substrates (AuNDSs) can detect viral genes after only 8 cycles of amplification. That is almost one-third of the number required with conventional RT-PCR.

The newly developed SERS

PCR assay uses SERS signals to detect “bridge DNA”—small DNA probes that slowly break down in the presence of target viral genes. Therefore, in samples from patients positive for COVID-19, the concentration of bridge

DNA (and therefore the SERS signal) continuously decreases with progressive PCR cycles. In contrast, when SARS-CoV-2 is not present in the sample, the concentration of bridge DNA and the resultant SERS signal remain unchanged. In this way, SARSCoV-2 can be rapidly detected in patient samples.