Highly sensitive fluorescent detection of small molecules, ions, and proteins using a universal label-free aptasensor.

A facile and universal aptamer-based label-free approach for highly selective and sensitive fluorescence detection of a broad range of targets including small molecules, inorganic ions and proteins was developed by using PicoGreen to transduce the fluorescent signal of the double stranded DNA duplex formed between a free aptamer and its complementary strand.