Optimization of sandwich-style SERS substrates for the detection of human skeletal tissue components
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Kristin Kelly Cooke (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- David Evanoff, Jr.
Abstract: Detection of DNA from various sources is an essential and delicate process that plays a keyrole in the analysis of biological evidence. As such, the extraction of DNA from bone is awidely studied area in forensic science. Unfortunately, there is no standard pre-extractiontechnique to qualitatively assess the likelihood of obtaining a usable amount of high qualityDNA for genotyping. The purpose of this research is to lay the foundation for investigatingRaman spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as potentialdiagnostic tools for determining whether a bone sample contains viable DNA for genotyping.Herein, we present individual spectra of skeletal tissue and DNA components measuredusing both Raman spectroscopy and SERS. A previously studied fabrication method for aSERS substrate architecture, known as sandwich-style SERS substrates, was utilized for thisresearch. A key focus of this research was to optimize these substrates to enable to detectionof low concentrations of adenine, which serves as a Raman-active marker molecule for thedetection of DNA in various solutions. Several parameters were varied from the originalsubstrate fabrication method such as silver nanoparticle size, dispersion, and inter-particlespacing - the result of which yielded SERS substrates that led to the detection of adeninemolecules in a solution with a concentration as low as 10??8 M.
Optimization of sandwich-style SERS substrates for the detection of human skeletal tissue components
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Created on 7/1/2016
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2016
- Keywords
- DNA, Nucleotide, Raman Spectroscopy, SERS, Skeletal tissue
- Subjects
- Human remains (Archaeology) -- Analysis
- Human skeleton -- Analysis
- DNA
- Raman spectroscopy
- Raman effect, Surface enhanced
- Chemistry, Forensic