SMU Nanotechnology Expert Contributes to Cost-Effective Nuclease Detection Method for COVID-19 Testing

MinJun Kim, an expert in nanotechnology from SMU, collaborated with a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin to pioneer a groundbreaking approach in the realm of nucleic acid sensing applications, particularly significant in the context of COVID-19 detection. Together, they devised a cost-effective method to detect nuclease digestion, a pivotal step in the identification of pathogens causing infectious diseases.

This innovative technique, known as Subak, was detailed in a study published in the prestigious journal Nature Nanotechnology. The Subak reporter offers a simpler and more economical alternative to the traditional Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) probe, which costs 62 times more to produce. According to Kim, who holds the Robert C. Womack Chair in the Lyle School of Engineering at SMU and serves as the principal investigator of the BAST Lab, this breakthrough not only enhances the affordability of nucleic acid detection but also provides a viable solution for streamlining processes such as PCR and DETECTR, which currently rely on FRET probes in their final steps