Split Aptamer Sensor For Single Nucleotide Selective Target Detection

Nucleic acid aptamers are short single-stranded DNA- or RNA-based oligonucleotides that can selectively bind to small molecular ligands or protein targets with high affinity and specificity, when folded into their unique three-dimensional structure (1). Aptamers have shown promising ability for detection in the subnanomolar range of nucleic acid targets with specificity down to single nucleotide variations (2). The selectivity, low limit of detection, and cost-effectiveness make these nucleic acid aptamers optimal bio-sensors. Previous work by our group has been done to optimize the signal of the dapoxyl-binding aptamer (DAP), which is a light-up aptamer. Here, we propose to organize this aptamer into a split-aptamer system and determine the limit of detection and selectivity for a target gene in Mycobacterium tuberculosis