The detection of next generation microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers has become a highly important aspect for clinical diagnostics. We use multiplexed Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between a luminescent Tb complex and three different semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) to sensitively detect three different miRNAs from a single 150 μL sample with ca. 1 nM (subpicomol) detection limits. The rapid and amplification-free mix-and-measure assay format is based on careful design of miRNA base pairing and stacking to selectively detect different miRNAs with very strong sequence homologies. Clinical applicability is demonstrated by sensitive multiplexed quantification of three miRNAs at low (2 to 10 nM) and varying concentrations in samples that contained up to 10% serum.

The importance of microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation for the development and progression of diseases and the discovery of stable miRNAs in peripheral blood have made these short-sequence nucleic acids next-generation biomarkers. Here we present a fully homogeneous multiplexed miRNA FRET assay that combines careful biophotonic design with various RNA hybridization and ligation steps. The single-step, single-temperature, and amplification-free assay provides a unique combination of performance parameters compared to state-of-the-art miRNA detection technologies. Precise multiplexed quantification of miRNA-20a, -20b, and -21 at concentrations between 0.05 and 0.5 nM in a single 150 μL sample and detection limits between 0.2 and 0.9 nM in 7.5 μL serum samples demonstrate the feasibility of both high-throughput and point-of-care clinical diagnostics.