Figure 4.

Viral RNA detection using exonuclease selection. (a) Schematic of the exonuclease RNA detection strategy. Probe bound with viral RNA is not digested by ExoI. After digestion, remaining probes are hybridized with complementary reporter probes containing a single fluorophore. Figure created with Biorender.com. (b) 500 pM RNA was detected using 10 nM probes. (c) 3 nM RNA was detected directly in human saliva. Values plotted are the mean ± standard deviation. Statistical significance of FITC counts with RNA present compared to no RNA control was determined by Student’s t-test (** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001).