miRNA Optical Detection

Abstract

miRNA is a kind of attractive candidates, as biomarkers, for early cancer diagnosis. Therefore, simple and novel strategies for miRNA detection with high sensitivity and selectivity have great significance not only for the studies of its biological functions but also for clinical cancer diagnosis. Various reliable optical miRNA detection methods have become a class of attractive and paramount for miRNA expression analysis, due to its high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and multiplexing capabilities. The progress of nanotechnology and nanoscience allows nanomaterial-based signal amplification to develop highly sensitive and selective biosensors for in situ or online detection of miRNA. Molecular biology-based strategies for miRNA detection by amplifying the target or probe with high detection sensitivity are applied in identifying and detecting nucleic acids analysis.Keywords Optical detection · Signal amplification · Noble metal nanoparticles · Transition metal dichalcogenides · Quantum dots · Canbon nanomaterials · Target or probe amplification Nanomaterials-Based miRNA Optical DetectionThe development of nanotechnology and nanoscience renders nanomaterial-based signal amplification great promise in developing highly sensitive and selective biosensors for in situ or online detection of miRNA. Nanomaterials-based biosensors exhibit the significant advantages with high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and multiplexing capabilities compared to bulk materials-biosensors. Nanoparticles (NPs)-based biosensors show the significant advantages as follows: (i) The NPs allow design of low cost and minimized equipment in point-of-care diagnostics due to the small sizes breaking through the limitation of structure miniaturization. (ii) The direct contact between NPs and the environment lead to accelerated