Nucleic acids analysis, based on nucleic acids chemistry, has become an important part of analytical chemistry. It aims to develop measuring strategies, principles, methods and technology, and to develop various analytical instruments and devices, so as to accurately obtain the spatio-temporal variation rules of the composition, distribution, structure and properties of nucleic acids and many other substances. Nucleic acids analysis has a wide range of applications, including medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, food analysis, material evidence analysis and so on. For instance, after the COVID-19 outbreak, nucleic acid testing quickly became a critical tool for surveillance and prevention of the disease. The intersections between nucleic acid analysis and interface characterization, nano-regulation and imaging technology have created new methods and devices, which has opened up a brand new world for this field.

Recently, Chunhai FAN’s team and Weihong Tan’s team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University organized nineteen researchers and jointly wrote a review titled "Nucleic Acids Analysis". The review summarized representative strategies for the development of new nucleic acids analysis, discussed key advantages and possible limitations and provided a brief perspective on existing challenges and further research development. Nucleic acids analysis could take nucleic acids as the analytic target. Besides, nucleic acids themselves could be used to analyze proteins, small molecules, ions, cells, etc. The emerging and flourishing of multiple nucleic acids-based analysis have been widely applied in biological studies, clinical diagnosis, environmental analysis, food safety, forensic analysis. This review was published online in SCIENCE CHINA Chemistry. 

(http://engine.scichina.com/doi/10.1007/s11426-020-9864-7)

Author: Fan’s Lab

Translator: Chenyun SUN

Reviser: Xiaoke HU