SERS-BASED METHODS FOR DETECTION OF BIOAGENTS

1 . A method for detecting a target nucleic acid, comprising:

a) providing an SERS-active surface comprising an oligonucleotide, said oligonucleotide comprising a Raman reporter molecule;

b) contacting the target nucleic acid with the SERS-active surface comprising an oligonucleotide under conditions permitting hybridization;

c) illuminating the SERS-active surface with light capable of exciting the Raman reporter molecule; and

d) detecting hybridization.

2 . The method for detecting a target nucleic acid of claim 1 wherein hybridization is detected by a decrease in a SERS signal.

3 . The method for detecting a target nucleic acid of claim 1 wherein said detecting hybridization is performed under stringent hybridization conditions.

4 . A method for detecting a plurality of target nucleic acids, comprising:

a) providing a plurality of types of SERS-active surfaces, said surfaces comprising a plurality of oligonucleotides, each of said oligonucleotide comprising a Raman reporter molecule, wherein at least one of said surfaces is differentiable from another of said surfaces based on the Raman reporter molecule;

b) contacting a plurality of target nucleic acids with the plurality of SERS-active surfaces under conditions permitting hybridization;

c) illuminating the SERS-active surfaces with light capable of exciting the Raman reporter molecules;

d) detecting hybridization to the target nucleic acids; and

e) identifying the types of SERS-active surface which exhibits hybridization.

5 . The method for detecting a plurality of target nucleic acids of claim 3 wherein the type of SERS-active surface which exhibits hybridization is identified by determining which of the Raman spectrums associated with each of the types of reporter molecule has been decreased.

6 . A method for detecting a target protein, comprising:

a) providing an SERS-active surface comprising an aptamer, said aptamer comprising a Raman reporter molecule;

b) contacting the target protein with the SERS-active surface comprising an aptamer under conditions permitting specific binding of the aptamer and its target;

c) illuminating the SERS-active surface with light capable of exciting the Raman reporter molecule; and

d) detecting specific binding of the protein and the aptamer by detecting a decrease in SERS signal.

7 . A method for detecting a plurality of target proteins, comprising:

a) providing a plurality of SERS-active surfaces comprising one or more types of SERS-active surfaces, said surfaces comprising a plurality of aptamers, each of said aptamers comprising a Raman reporter molecule, wherein at least one of said surfaces is differentiable from another of said types based on the Raman reporter molecule;

b) contacting a plurality of target proteins with the plurality of SERS-active surfaces under conditions permitting hybridization;

c) illuminating the SERS-active surfaces with light capable of exciting the Raman reporter molecule;

d) detecting specific binding of the proteins and the aptamers; and

e) identifying the type of SERS-active surface which exhibits specific binding.

8 . A nucleic acid assay comprising a substrate having isolated SERS-active particles adsorbed thereon the SERS-active particles comprising an oligonucleotide, said oligonucleotide comprising a Raman reporter molecule.

9 . The nucleic acid assay of claim 8 wherein the spacing between the SERS-active particles on the substrate is controlled to achieve interparticle coupling and contribute to enhancement of a SERS signal.

10 . The nucleic acid assay of claim 8 wherein the SERS-active particle is a core-shell particle having tunable near-IR optical response.

11 . The nucleic acid assay of claim 8 wherein the SERS-active particle is a hollow particle.

12 . A nucleic acid assay comprising a SERS-active surface comprising an oligonucleotide, said oligonucleotide comprising a Raman reporter molecule, wherein the SERS-active surface is a core-shell particle.

13 . A nucleic acid assay comprising a SERS-active surface comprising an oligonucleotide, said oligonucleotide comprising a Raman reporter molecule, wherein the SERS-active surface is a hollow particle.