The present invention relates to synthesis of oligonucleotide mediated gold core- silver shell nanoparticles and testing their SERS performance. A Raman reporter molecule and twelve-base long oligonucleotide are simultaneously attached on gold nanoparticles and a silver layer is deposited on the modified gold nanoparticles. The SERS performance of gold core- silver shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) is much greater than the CSNPs prepared without oligonucleotides and the same size non-modified gold nanoparticles after silver staining.