Yu-Wen Chen, David Septian Sumanto Marpaung, Ya-Yu Chen, Murali Mohana Rao Singuru, Min-Chieh Chuang
Monitoring environmentally relevant ultraviolet (UV) radiation is critical for understanding its biological impacts on ecosystems and human health. However, conventional UV dosimeters lack the molecular sensitivity to detect DNA-level damage that initiates such effects. Here, we present a CRISPR/Cas12a-based biosensing platform capable of quantifying solar UV exposure through the detection of UV-induced thymine dimers in DNA activators. This system harnesses mismatch-driven suppression of Cas12a activity, enabling a reduction in the fluorescence signal in response to UV-induced molecular lesions. The impact of thymine arrangement and the dimerization position of the activators on sensitivity were investigated. UV-induced diminution in Cas12a’s trans-cleavage efficiency (kcat/Km) was also characterized, revealing a 1.67-fold decrease as the UVB dose increased from 0 to 2 J/cm2. Under optimized conditions, the sensor achieved a detection limit of 0.029 J/cm2 for UVB and demonstrated high sensitivity to UVC. Field validation under natural sunlight showed a strong correlation with reference radiometric measurements, validating the biosensor’s accuracy and environmental relevance. The system’s sensitivity to low lesion densities, straightforward mechanism, and simple operation highlights its potential for environmental surveillance, human health risk assessment, and ecological monitoring in response to solar UV radiation. © 2026 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.
Department of Chemistry, Tunghai University, Taichung, 407224, Taiwan; Tunghai University, Taichung, 407224, Taiwan; Department of Biosystems Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia; Tunghai University, Taichung, 407224, Taiwan
Research at a Glance
Register to unlock
Topics & SDG Alignment
Register to unlock
Collaboration
Register to unlock
Author Profile (Selected)
Register to unlock
References Overview
Register to unlock
Journal & Source
Register to unlock
Metadata & Integrity
Register to unlock