The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become the standard tool in molecular biology to discrimination between one or more DNA sequences of interest. Solid-phase PCR holds additional promise for high-throughput DNA sequencing and large-scale single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. However, it has relatively low yields of amplicon and subsequent low efficiencies which make real-time (RT) monitoring difficult.

Jeroen Lammertyn and colleagues, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, have combined solid-phase PCR with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to give real-time monitoring of the PCR. The fiber optic-based SPR platform comprised an SPR sensor with gold-nanobead signal enhancement that permitted remote SPR sensing inside a standard PCR thermocycler. The SPR system could monitor RT-PCR in nontransparent media and differentiate products in single-nucleotide polymorphism screenings using high-resolution melting data, making it ideal for food and medical diagnostics.

• Real-Time Monitoring of Solid-Phase PCR Using Fiber-Optic SPR
  J. Pollet, K. P. F. Janssen, K. Knez, J. Lammertyn,
  Small 2011.
  DOI: 10.1002/smll.201001984