Harnessing the untapped potential of DNA repair enzymes for biosensing
Embargo Date
2027-05-22
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
DNA repair endonucleases are widely studied due to their essential role in maintaining genomic integrity; however, their unique ability to specifically cleave DNA near nonstandard bases remains an underutilized tool in biosensing. I have demonstrated novel strategies to harness these enzymes for developing two biosensing platforms. First, I introduce TIMBRE (Templated Incision Mediated By Repair Endonucleases), an isothermal nucleic acid detection method leveraging repair endonuclease-mediated probe cleavage, capable of detecting as few as five copies of mRNA when coupled with RT-LAMP. TIMBRE exhibits high specificity, enabling easy multiplexing and SNP discrimination. Second, I present a rapid, instrument-free assay for heavy metals, which utilizes the competitive interplay between allosteric transcription factors and repair endonucleases to regulate strand displacement amplification. Together, these studies underscore the untapped potential of repair endonucleases as versatile biosensing elements for both clinical diagnostics and environmental monitoring.
Description
2025
License
Attribution 4.0 International