MicroRNA‐Directed Intracellular Self‐Assembly of Chiral Nanorod Dimers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a kind of single-stranded small RNA molecules, play a crucial role in physiological and pathological processes in human beings. We describe here the detection of miRNA, by side-by-side self-assembly of plasmonic nanorod dimers in living cells, which gives rise to a distinct intense chiroplasmonic response and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The dynamic assembly of chiral nanorods was confirmed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), also in living cells. Our study provides insights into in situ self-assembly of plasmonic probes for the real-time measurement of biomarkers in living cells. This could improve the current understanding of cellular RNA-protein complexes, pharmaco-genomics, and genetic diagnosis and therapies.