Abstract
Due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, also called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)) pandemic starting in early 2020, all social activities ceased in order to combat its high transmission rate. Since vaccination combats one aspect for halting the spread of the virus, the biosensor community has looked at another aspect of reducing the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on society by developing biosensors that incorporate point-of-care (POC) testing and the rapid identification of those affected in order to deploy appropriate measures. In this study, we aim first to propose a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE)-based electrochemical biosensor that meets the ASSURED criteria (i.e., affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid, equipment-free, and deliverable) for POC testing, but more importantly, we describe the novelty of our biosensor’s modifiability that uses custom dual probes made from target nucleic acid sequences. Additionally, regarding the sensitivity of the biosensor, the lowest sample concentration was 10 pM (p = 0.0257) without amplification, which might challenge the traditional technique of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The purpose of this study is to develop a means of diagnostics for the current pandemic as well as to provide an established POC platform for future epidemics.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilSARS-CoV-2 was declared a global pandemic in early 2020, and since the world has been in lockdown [1]
A summary of the materials that were applied in this study includes: CM-dextran sodium salt (CMD-Na), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC), N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (NHS), ethanolamine, potassium chloride (KCl), potassium ferricyanide (Fe(CN)63−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC), and
In order to ensure that the screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) could bind the biotinylated capture probe more stably with working electrode efficiency, according to our previously report [14], in brief, first we introduced a carboxylic (–COOH) functional group onto the carbon electrode surface, and 50 μL carboxymethyldextran sodium salt (CMD- Na) (50 mg/mL) was used to saturate the work surface for 16 h, and a prepared mixture of 8 mg/mL 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and 22 mg/mL N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (NHS) in 0.1 M MES buffer was used for 15 min at room temperature
Summary
Introduction published maps and institutional affilSARS-CoV-2 was declared a global pandemic in early 2020, and since the world has been in lockdown [1]. We understand that the zoonotic virus SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped single-stranded RNA that has been identified to have 29,881 base pairs, encoding 10 genes, and is classified within the Betacoronavirus genus [2]. The new virus has been identified to share sequence homology with viruses responsible for previous outbreaks, including. In response to the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced multiple guidelines over the year with a few updates along the way; at its core, the essentiality has remained unchanged [5]. To achieve the goal of maintaining a low level of transmission, the WHO has outlined six essential criteria—one of which includes testing [6]. The gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 testing is reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) [7], as outlined by many laboratories and the WHO [8,9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
