KCS

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been labelled an ongoing pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has been recently considered a gold standard for the quantitative evaluation of a target gene but it still suffers from the problem of a long thermocycling time. To address this issue, we developed a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based DNA detection platform for the rapid and sensitive detection of target DNA markers of corona virus. Just like the RT-qPCR, two DNA probes, a broad-range probe for E gene and an additional probe for RdRp gene, have been used for the simultanelous detection two target DNAs of corona virus. The Raman signals of DNA markers were measured under flowing conditions. Total analysis time from droplet generation to SERS detection takes less than 10 min because all experimental conditions are automatically controlled inside the exquisitely designed microfluidic channel. This novel SERS-based DNA sensing technology in a microdroplet channel is expected to be a powerful analytical tool to simultaneously detect multiple DNA oligomer markers of infectious disease.