Colorimetric biosensor based on a DNAzyme primer and its application in logic gate operations for DNA screening

A colorimetric biosensor for DNA screening was designed based on the conformational changes of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mimicking DNAzyme. The scheme of DNA biosensing was designed based on the base pairing of DNAzyme sequence to inhibit the formation of HRP-mimicking hemin/G-quadruplex structures in the process of amplification. DNA could be amplified via the universal primer multiplex polymerase chain reaction (UP- M -PCR) and innovatively detected as color disappear in the reaction visible to the naked eye. The input of key factors and the output of optical characteristics in the reaction inspired the development of an OR logic gate operation for DNA detection. This biosensor overcomes self-inhibition and amplification disparity with the help of UP- M -PCR, thereby exhibiting high specificity and high-throughput without the requirement of gel analysis work. This biosensing system also presented 1% sensitivity and approximately 180 copy numbers in triplicate. The biosensor was used to screen elements from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and covered more than 90% of all globally authorized events in the world. The designed colorimetric biosensor is a rapid, portable and versatile tool for nucleic acids detection and diagnosis in the field.