Biosensors For Detection Of Viruses Research Articles

Nanomaterial Based Biosensors for Detection of Viruses Including SARS-CoV-2: A Review.

The COVID-19 outbreak led to an uncontrollable situation and was later declared a global pandemic. RT-PCR is one of the reliable methods for the detection of COVID-19, but it requires transporting samples to sophisticated laboratories and takes a significant amount of time to amplify the viral genome. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a large-scale, rapid, specific, and portable detection kit. Nowadays nanomaterials-based detection technology has been developed and it showed advancement over the conventional methods in selectivity and sensitivity. This review aims at summarising some of the most promising nanomaterial-based sensing technologies for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Nanomaterials possess unique physical, chemical, electrical and optical properties, which can be exploited for the application in biosensors. Furthermore, nanomaterials work on the same scale as biological processes and can be easily functionalized with substrates of interest. These devices do not require extraordinary sophistication and are suitable for use by common individuals without high-tech laboratories. Electrochemical and colorimetric methods similar to glucometer and pregnancy test kits are discussed and reviewed as potential diagnostic devices for COVID-19. Other devices working on the principle of immune response and microarrays are also discussed as possible candidates. Nanomaterials such as metal nanoparticles, graphene, quantum dots, and CNTs enhance the limit of detection and accuracy of the biosensors to give spontaneous results. The challenges of industrial-scale production of these devices are also discussed. If mass production is successfully developed, these sensors can ramp up the testing to provide the accurate number of people affected by the virus, which is extremely critical in today’s scenario.

Polydiacetylene‐Based Biosensors for the Detection of Viruses and Related Biomolecules

AbstractViruses are a major threat to the wellbeing of humans, animals, and plants. The current diagnostics of viral RNA/DNA are largely dependent on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and related concepts. Serological and immunological assays on the other hand aim to identify the presence of antibodies. Alternative approaches that consider non‐biological entities as part of the sensing set‐up might be a complementary path to alleviate the pressure on access to high‐quality biomolecules and PCR reagents. In this context, polydiacetylenes are widely explored as biosensors because these polymers can be synthesized in situ only with the assistance of light in the desired environment. In addition, this unique group of polymers can be utilized as biosensors to detect an assortment of biomolecules and pathogens with dual optical outputs. The detection of viruses and related biomolecules with polydiacetylenes have been explored over the course of the past three decades. This progress report aims to provide a comprehensive summary of polydiacetylene‐based biosensors for the detection of viruses and also related biomolecules, including nucleic acids and proteins. Given the current situation, this progress report will hopefully inspire scientists and contribute to the development of novel biosensors for the fast and effective detection of viruses.

Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated with Protein A: Towards the Application in Biosensors for Virus Detection

In this article, a facile and effective technique is described to prepare a complex of gold nanoparticles (GNPs)/protein A (PrA) for biosensors in virus detection. GNPs were synthesized by the reduction of tetrachloroauric (III) acid trihydrate using sodium ascorbate, and then coated with PrA via ultracentrifugation. The complex of GNPs/PrA was characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The immunogold labeling method of scanning electron microscopy was also used to verify the capacity for the detection and binding of GNPs/PrA to H$_{1}$N$_{1}$ influenza A virus particles. The results showed that GNPs were spherical, uniform shape, and approximately 10 nm in size. Noticeably, the complex of GNPs/PrA could detect and bind effectively to H$_{1}$N$_{1}$ influenza A virus particles by a large number of GNPs surrounded. The advantage of the complex of GNPs/PrA showed a highly potential application in biosensors with the improvement of the sensitivity and transducing signal for virus detection.