Abstract
In time of COVID-19 biological detection technologies are of crucial relevance. We propose here the use of state of the art optical fiber biosensors to address two aspects of the fight against SARS-CoV-2 and other pandemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs). Fiber optic biosensors functionalized with HCoV spikes could be used to discover broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) effective against known HCoVs (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) and likely future ones. In turn, identified bnAbs, once immobilized onto fiber optic biosensors, should be capable to detect HCoVs as diagnostic and environmental sensing devices. The therapeutic and preventative value of bnAbs is immense as they can be used for passive immunization and for the educated development of a universal vaccine (active immunization). Hence, HCoV bnAbs represent an extremely important resource for future preparedness against coronavirus-borne pandemics. Furthermore, the assembly of bnAb-based biosensors constitutes an innovative approach to counteract public health threats, as it bears diagnostic competence additional to environmental detection of a range of pandemic strains. This concept can be extended to different pandemic viruses, as well as bio-warfare threats that entail existing, emerging and extinct viruses (e.g., the smallpox-causing Variola virus). We report here the forefront fiber optic biosensor technology that could be implemented to achieve these aims.
Highlights
Biosensors play an important role in the detection of viruses, diagnosis of viral infection and possibly prevention of viral pandemics (Taha et al, 2020)
We propose the development of a combined set of technologies, in the attempt to discover broadly neutralizing antibodies directed against the spike of human coronaviruses (HCoVs) and, in turn, embed them in fiber optic biosensors to detect HCoVs
A perspective is proposed here for a strategy to pursue the search for HCoV broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) using state of the art optical fiber biosensors, followed by the possible implementation of such bnAbs to devise universal coronavirus detectors
Summary
Biosensors play an important role in the detection of viruses, diagnosis of viral infection and possibly prevention of viral pandemics (Taha et al, 2020). Blood from individuals whose samples present MERS-CoV detection after this serial detection-purification scheme will be assayed to isolate single B cells that in turn will be screened for MERS-CoV-specific antibodies, a technology largely implemented to isolate monoclonal antibodies from infectious diseases survivors (Lanzavecchia et al, 2007) Antibodies obtained in this way will be tested to recapitulate their broad recognition in the three HCoV spike biosensors. Among the different optical fiber biosensors, we focus here on three distinct configurations, namely, etched tilted fiber Bragg grating (eTFBG), nanoparticle doped-fibers and ball-resonators, due to their improved sensing characteristics and easy fabrication steps These sensors are entirely based on single-mode fibers and use telecom-grade analyzers, that detect spectral variations equal or lower than 1 pm and power levels with 0.01 dB precision and provide outstanding performance ratings. Ball-resonators have been used for the detection of thrombin and CD44 with a detection limit at pM level (Ayupova et al, 2021; Bekmurzayeva et al, 2021)
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