Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopic detection of aptamers

Single molecule detection, sequencing and conformational mapping of aptamers are important for improving medical and biosensing technologies and for better understanding of biological processes at the molecular level. We obtain vibrational signals of single aptamers immobilized on gold substrates using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). We compare topographic and optical signals and investigate the fluctuations of the position-dependent TERS spectra. TERS mapping provides information about the chemical composition and conformation of aptamers, and paves the way to future single-molecule label-free sequencing.