In-field DNA/RNA detection using near-infrared nanotube photoluminescence for plant genetic quality assessment

Overview

This solution addresses the growing need for point-of-care genetic quality assessment of plant materials by enabling rapid, in-field detection of DNA and RNA without laboratory infrastructure or nucleic acid amplification. The technology integrates near-infrared photoluminescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes within a microchip electrophoresis platform. By leveraging the favorable optoelectronic properties of SWCNTs and the strong binding affinity of PNA to complementary nucleic acid sequences, the system delivers sensitive and selective genetic analysis in a portable format. This approach streamlines genetic quality control for agricultural applications, reducing turnaround time, cost, and logistical complexity compared to conventional centralized laboratory methods.

Technical specifications

Core components and capabilities:

• Single-walled carbon nanotube sensors: NIR photoluminescent SWCNTs coupled with PNA probes provide photostable, biotransparent optical detection with enhanced selectivity and sensitivity for target nucleic acids.
• Peptide nucleic acid probes: Engineered PNA sequences bind strongly to complementary DNA and RNA targets, enabling amplification-free detection with sub-nanomolar precision.
• Microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence: A microfluidic separation and detection platform that analyzes samples within minutes, supporting rapid on-site analysis.
• Multichannel microchip design: Enables simultaneous detection and quantification of multiple nucleic acid targets in a single run for comprehensive genetic assessment.
• Simplified sample preparation: Rapid DNA and RNA extraction from plant leaves through mechanical disruption and buffer-based methods, avoiding specialized reagents or equipment.

Workflow:

• Plant leaf sample is disrupted mechanically and nucleic acids are extracted using standard buffers.
• The extracted sample is incubated with the PNA-SWCNT sensor for up to 30 minutes.
• The incubated mixture is injected into the microchip electrophoresis device.
• Laser-induced fluorescence detection delivers results within minutes with sub-nanomolar sensitivity.

Technology readiness level

The technology builds on validated advances from the research group at EPFL, including bioengineered PNA-SWCNT optical sensors previously developed for microRNA cancer biomarker detection and portable NIR measurement setups demonstrated for on-site use. Microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence has been extensively validated for rapid analyte separation and precise detection. Future validation efforts will focus on demonstrating rapid DNA extraction from plant leaves, confirming PNA binding performance without amplification, and validating the integrated multichannel microchip system for simultaneous multi-target detection in plant material. The platform is positioned for development toward field-deployable genetic quality assessment applications in agriculture and decentralized biosensing.