Plasmon-Mediated Sensors for DNA Damage Diagnostics

The future of analytical instruments in the ""era of nanoscale measurement"" is closely linked to technological progress in the natural sciences. Therefore, the rapid growth of high-precision sensory instrumentation in all areas of point-of-care has increased the demand for novel approaches and technologies for quality control of DNA vaccine production, diagnosis of DNA lesions and nanomedicine in general. The need for high data credibility has led to a demand for detectors that allow faster data acquisition, higher versatility/sensitivity and higher detection efficiency, which has initiated a new turn in the improvement of electronic, magnetic, optical and hybrid sensing methods. It is likely that the current commercially available techniques cannot fully address the existing challenges. In this regard, nanoplasmonics offers the opportunity to dramatically improve spectroscopy-driven optical analysers for studying the molecular integrity of DNA and the interaction processes that occur during external stress. The Sansei project provides innovative plasmonic accessories prepared by green plasma-synthesis, that enable advanced Raman nanospectroscopy to solve new analytical problems in the study of DNA phenomena. The current practical limitations of the Raman technique will be overcome by implementing novel localised surface plasmon resonance nanosensors, which are expected to improve molecular cross-section efficiency and increase sensitivity in the detection of organic macromolecules by several orders of magnitude. It is expected that the results will be generally applicable and easily transferable to other research areas, such as the development of new analytical systems for the detection of genomic instability in DNA (single-strand breaks SSBs, double-strand breaks DSBs, conformational transitions, oxidation damage markers). Finally, the project Sansei will promote outstanding science of new plasmonic biosensors and understanding of DNA molecules.