An isothermal graphene oxide(GO)-based SYBR Green I fluorescence platform for sensitive detection of RNA transcription levels is proposed. Briefly, a synthesized T7 DNA template was transcribed by T7 RNA polymerase, to producemany copies of single-stranded(ss) RNA transcripts. The ssRNA transcripts were then hybridized with a label-free ssDNA probe which alone will be adsorbed on the GO surface. The resultant double-stranded(ds) RNA:DNA hybrids were incubated with GO and SYBR Green I. Then the hybrid binding with SYBR Green I emits enhanced fluorescence for detection. Experimental results show that the detection limit of the method is 0.5 pmol/L of T7 DNA template. A calibration curve with a linearity range of 0.5 pmol/L to 5 nmol/L is established, thus, making quantitative analysis feasible. The method may become a powerful tool for RNA transcription detection due to its sensitivity, rapidity and convenience.
