SARS-CoV-2-Impedimetric Biosensor: Virus-Imprinted Chips for Early and Rapid Diagnosis

Abstract

Due to the current global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, rapid and accurate diagnostic tools are needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 across the globe. An electrochemical sensing platform was constructed using CNTs/WO 3 -screen printed electrodes for imprinting the complete virus particles (SARS-CoV-2 particles) within the polymeric matrix to create viral complementary binding sites. The sensor provided high selectivity toward the target virus over other tested human corona and influenza respiratory interference viruses. The sensitivity performance of the sensor chips was evaluated using different viral concentrations, while the limits of detection and quantification were 57 and 175 pg/mL, respectively. Reaching this satisfied low detection limit (almost 27-fold more sensitive than the RT-PCR), the sensor was applied in clinical specimens obtained from SARS-CoV-2 suspected cases. Thus, dealing directly with clinical samples on the chip could be provided as a portable device for instantaneous and simple point of care in hospitals, airports, and hotspots.

Fluorescent bioassay for SARS-CoV-2 detection using polypyrene-g-poly(ε-caprolactone) prepared by simultaneous photoinduced step-growth and ring-opening polymerizations

“…Including this work, some polymer structures are used as labels in colorimetric assays [ 3 , 30 ]. Other sensors make use of polymers as immobilization matrices [ 31 – 33 ] or biorecognition surfaces [ 34 , 35 ]. There is a limited number of research studies on the development of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tools based on polymers and co-polymeric structures.…”

Biosensors for the Determination of SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Diagnosis of COVID-19 Infection

“…Virus-imprinted chips (VIC) is an impedimetric sensing platform, which was built employing carbon nanotubes (CNT)/WO 3 -screen printed electrodes for imprinting the SARS-CoV-2 VPs into the polymeric matrix, thereby producing binding sites [ 125 ]. EIS measurements were performed in a double-mediating system (mixture of potassium ferrocyanide(III) (FCN) and 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP)).…”

“…Moreover, LOD and limit of quantification were 57 and 175 pg/mL, respectively. The sensor was used in clinical samples acquired from nasopharyngeal swabs from SARS-CoV-2 suspected patients, thereby making it suitable as a point-of-care (POC) device [ 125 ].…”

Multifunctional carbon nanomaterials for diagnostic applications in infectious diseases and tumors

“…However, on the other hand, the development of early diagnostic techniques for emerging outbreaks of infectious diseases (e.g., SARS-CoV-2) is disadvantageous due to the relative complexity of techniques for the preparation and purification of specific bio-recognition elements. Hussein et al abandoned the idea of utilizing conventional antigens as capture molecules and developed a sensitive assay of SARS-CoV-2 particles with tailor-made plastic antibodies generated by molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) [ 76 ].CNTs/WO 3 were employed to modify the screen-printed electrode and intact virus particles (SARS-CoV-2 particles) were imprinted on poly( meta -aminophenol) (Pm-AP) polymeric films electrodeposited in situ on the electrode surface, which ultimately yielded complementary binding sites for virus pickup by washing. The decoration of CNTs/WO 3 offered the lowest charge transfer resistance for the electrode, and the sensor allowed quantification of SARS-CoV-2 based on the increase in resistance upon virus binding (LOD, 57 pg mL −1 ).…”