PathoGlow

DNAzyme based Disease Detection

"But biology and computer science, life and
computation - are related. I am confident that
at their interface great discoveries await
those who seek them."

- Leonard Adleman

(Recipient of the 2002 Turing Award)

Current

Detection Methodologies
and Limitations

Hover over any Section to know more

The

Solution

Our DNAzyme is a single-stranded DNA molecule strategically designed with three recognition loops (RecLoops), resulting in a 'T'-shaped secondary structure with loops at all the three ends. This structure effectively mirrors the Boolean expression X&Y&z̅. Within the DNAzyme's structure, the upper arms conceal a hidden region due to strand overlap, housing its enzymatic properties. The third loop serves as a deactivation sequence. Consequently, the DNAzyme activates only when conditions X and Y are simultaneously present while Z is absent. Any other combination renders it inactive ² .

Upon activation, this DNAzyme selectively cleaves our reporter substrate. This substrate is equipped with a fluorophore and a quencher at its ends. The cleavage process alters the interaction between the fluorophore and quencher, yielding a discernible fluorescent signal. By tailoring this specificity to target pathogens, the substrate emits a 'glow' in the presence of an infection, thus aptly earning the name PathoGlow.

DNAzyme recognition sites bind to complementary nucleic acids

Correct binding activates the DNAzyme

Activated DNAzyme cleaves a fluorescent substrate, producing a fluorescence signal

Fluorescence signal quantified using a spectrophotometer giving the infection load

What

makes it Novel?

Easy to implement: Sample preparation is as simple as sonication followed by detection
No amplification: Avoids all biases and detects unique short mRNA sequences and proteins
Simultaneous Multisite detection: A singular DNAzyme contains 3 unique recognition site thus, it tests for three parameters at the same time
Rapid Design: Due to its high modularity, kits can be designed immediately following the partial/complete genome publishing of an organism