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Genevieve Boom: Developing a SERS surface for analysis of small extracellular vesicles

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Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bound particles released by cells throughout the body and have been demonstrated to play a role in both physiological and pathological processes. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a useful analysis technique for EV samples, particularly those of low sample volume and concentration. A unique fingerprint of small EVs (<200nm) can be generated with SERS, occurring when EVs fall into hot-spots on the SERS-active surface. Objectives: To develop a SERS surface capable of producing a unique, enhanced spectra of small EVs from a choriocarcinoma cell line (Jeg-3). Methods: Laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were used as a SERS substrate. These structures were lasered onto stainless steel wafers and coated in a thin gold layer to create a SERS-active surface. EV concentration, gold thickness (20-100nm), and laser parameters, including power (0.35-11mW), speed (500µm/sec or 1000µm/sec), and polarisation (linear or circular) were tested. Results: Laser settings of 1000µm/sec speed, 11mW power, linear polarisation, and a gold thickness of 80nm produced the optimal Raman signal enhancement of small EVs from the Jeg-3 cell line. Discussion: The successful development of this SERS surface producing enhanced spectra of Jeg-3 small EVs is a useful proof-of-principle that the surface is a functional SERS-active surface and demonstrates the suitability of SERS for analysing low EV concentrations and volumes. This allows for ongoing work using this SERS surface to progress, with the ability to study minute differences between biological EV samples, and potentially establish small EVs as biomarkers according to these differences.

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University of Auckland

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