Here, we report a bio-optical sensor based isothermal, label-free DNA and RNA detection assay for rapid and accurate identification of newly emerging infectious pathogens in clinical specimens. This bio-optical sensor shows rapid (<20min) and high limit of detection (10-100 copies/reaction) without any labeling in a real-time manner. We validated it with various samples infected with Coxiella burnetii, Orientia tsutsugamushi, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTS virus), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV); all the results showed high sensitivity and specificity compared with the conventional PCR methods. This bio-optical sensor is highly sensitive and specific and has proven to be applicable to a wide variety of newly emerging infectious diseases. Moreover, the clinical utility of the assay to identify multiple pathogens in clinical specimens is useful to overcome the limitation of the conventional approaches.
|