DNA-based logic computing potentially for analysis of
biomarker
inputs and generation of oligonucleotide signal outputs is of great
interest to scientists in diverse areas. However, its practical use
for sensing of multiple biomarkers is limited by the universality
and robustness. Based on a proximity assay, a lanthanide encoded logically
gated micromachine (LGM-Ln) was constructed in this work, which is
capable of responding to multiplex inputs in biological matrices.
Under the logic function controls triggered by inputs and a Boolean
“AND” algorithm, it is followed by an amplified “ON”
signal to indicate the analytes (inputs). In this logically gated
sensing system, the whole computational process does not involve strand
displacement in an intermolecular reaction, and a threshold-free design
is employed to generate the 0 and 1 computation via intraparticle
cleavage, which facilitates the computation units and makes the “computed
values” more reliable. By simply altering the affinity ligands
for inputs’ biorecognition, LGM-Ln can also be extended to
multi-inputs mode and produce the robust lanthanide encoded outputs
in the whole human serum for sensing nucleic acids (with the detection
limit of 10 pM) and proteins (with the detection limit of 20 pM).
Compared with a logically gated micromachine encoded with fluorophores,
the LGM-Ln has higher resolution and no spectral overlaps for multiple
inputs, thus holding great promise in multiplex analyses and clinical
diagnosis.