Genetic analysis with nanoPCR

Abstract

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become a standard and important molecular biological technique with numerous applications in genetic analysis, forensics and in vitro diagnostics. Since its invention in the 1980s, there has been dramatic performance improvement arising from long-lasting efforts to optimize amplification conditions in both academic studies and commercial applications. More recently, a range of nanometer-sized materials including metal nanoparticles, semiconductor quantum dots, carbon nanomaterials and polymer nanoparticles, have shown unique effects in tuning amplification processes of PCR. It is proposed that these artificial nanomaterials mimic protein components in the natural DNA replication machinery in vivo. These so-called nanomaterials-assisted PCR (nanoPCR) strategies shed new light on powerful PCR with unprecedented sensitivity, selectivity and extension rate. In this review, we aim to summarize recent progress in this direction and discuss possible mechanisms for such performance improvement and potential applications in genetic analysis (particularly gene typing and haplotyping) and diagnostics.

Plant-derived nanostructures: types and applications

“…These nanostructures and NPs have been used in areas such as mechanics, optics, biomedical sciences, chemicals, electronics, space industries, drug-gene delivery, energy science, catalysis 1, 2 , optoelectronic devices 3,4 , photo-electrochemical applications 5 , and nonlinear optical devices 6,7 . This strategy afforded potentially powerful PCR technology, with unprecedented sensitivity, selectivity, and extension rates 9,10 . Azmi et al,8 reported the use of ultra-sensitive, silicon nanowire-based biosensor devices for the detection of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker for prostate cancer risk.…”

Recent Advances in Forensic DNA Analysis

“…The detection of DNA is often further evaluated through the use of fluorescence, which uses fluorescent dyes that attach to PCR primers in the amplicons. Reagents used in the PCR process often consist of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol, formamide, single stranded DNA binding proteins and betaine [38].…”

“…Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanometer-sized polymers and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have also been able to enhance specificity of PCR. It is theorized that AuNPs are able to work in the same fashion as SSBs, however, the actually mechanism is still under investigation [38]. In particular, microtechnology and nanotechnology have become a method of interest due to the ability to create devices that can prepare, manipulate, and analyze at a very small levels [20].…”

Enhancing the specificity of polymerase chain reaction by graphene oxide through surface modification: zwitterionic polymer is superior to other polymers with different charges

“…The effect of nanomaterials on PCR mainly depends on the strong interaction between PCR components and nanomaterials. 20 However, conflicting results were obtained from different research groups. [21][22][23][24][25] Therefore, the effect of nanomaterials with different surface characteristics on PCR is still unclear and much more systemic and deep investigations are necessary to understand the corresponding mechanism.…”