Molecular analysis has revolutionized many applications, including bio-safety, bio-engineering and biofuel research; however, there are limited practical tools for in situ detection during field work. New technology is needed to translate molecular advances from laboratory settings into the practical realm. The unique characteristics of plasmonic nanosensors have made them ideal candidates for field-ready sensing applications. Herein, we discuss the development of a fiber-based plasmonic sensor capable of direct detection (i.e., no washing steps required) of miRNA targets, which are detected by immerging the sensor in the sample solution. This sensor is composed of an optical fiber that is decorated with plasmonic nanoprobes based on silver-coated gold nanostars to detect target nucleic acids using the surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing mechanism of nanoprobes referred to as inverse molecular sentinels. The fiber sensors were tested in extracts from leaves of plants that were induced to have different miRNA expression levels. The results indicate that the fiber sensors developed have the potential to be a powerful tool for field analysis.
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