Ultrafast and Real-Time Nanoplasmonic On-Chip Polymerase Chain Reaction for Rapid and Quantitative Molecular Diagnostics

Advent and fast spread of pandemic diseases draw worldwide attention to rapid, prompt, and accurate molecular diagnostics with technical development of ultrafast polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Microfluidic on-chip PCR platforms provide highly efficient and small-volume bioassay for point-of-care diagnostic applications. Here we report ultrafast, real-time, and on-chip nanoplasmonic PCR for rapid and quantitative molecular diagnostics at point-of-care level. The plasmofluidic PCR chip comprises glass nanopillar arrays with Au nanoislands and gas-permeable microfluidic channels, which contain reaction microchamber arrays, a precharged vacuum cell, and a vapor barrier. The on-chip configuration allows both spontaneous sample loading and microbubble-free PCR reaction during which the plasmonic nanopillar arrays result in ultrafast photothermal cycling. After rapid sample loading less than 3 min, two-step PCR results for 40 cycles show rapid amplification in 264 s for lambda-DNA, and 306 s for plasmids expressing SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein. In addition, the in situ cyclic real-time quantification of amplicons clearly demonstrates the amplification efficiencies of more than 91%. This PCR platform can provide rapid point-of-care molecular diagnostics in helping slow the fast-spreading pandemic.