From research to market: correlation between publications, patent filings, and investments in development and production of technological innovations in biosensors.

As the global population grows and science and technology development evolve, fulfilling basic human needs has been even more linked to technological solutions. In this review, we present an overview of the biosensor market and discuss the factors that make certain countries more competitive than others in terms of technology and innovation and how this is reflected in the trends in publication and patent filling. Additionally, we expose briefly how the COVID-19 pandemic acts as a catalyst for the integration of research and development, business, and innovation sectors to bring solutions and ideas that have been predicted as tendencies for the future.

Challenges in Biomaterials Science for Electrochemical Biosensing and Bioenergy

Interest in developing and applying emerging biomaterials to sensing and energy devices' frameworks has dramatically climbed in recent years. The world has been recently threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, generating a sprint for reliable manufacturing and analysis, low-cost detection methods. The challenge is implied in the elaboration of innovative materials and the design of biointerfaces to thrive in the sensing objectives. Concomitantly, the global search for economic growth and recovery is rebounding on energy demand, surpassing growth in energy generation from renewable sources. Therefore, efforts are being focused on the conception and application of biomaterials for the eco-friendly generation, storage, and conversion of energy. Here, we offer some highlights of the rational design of biomaterials and challenges to be overcome in the near future for the commercial consolidation of biodevices in these two segments.

Graphene-based hybrid electrical-electrochemical point-of-care device for serologic COVID-19 diagnosis.

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemics highlighted the need of sensitive, selective, and easy-to-handle biosensing devices. In the contemporary scenario, point-of-care devices for mass testing and infection mapping within a population have proven themselves as of primordial importance. Here, we introduce a graphene-based Electrical-Electrochemical Vertical Device (EEVD) point-of-care biosensor, strategically engineered for serologic COVID-19 diagnosis. EEVD uses serologic IgG quantifications on SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) bioconjugate immobilized onto device surface. EEVD combines graphene basal plane with high charge carrier mobility, high conductivity, low intrinsic resistance, and interfacial sensitivity to capacitance alterations. EEVD application was carried out in real human serum samples. Since EEVD is a miniaturized device, it requires just 40 µL of sample for a point-of-care COVID-19 infections detection. When compared to serologic assays such ELISA and other immunochromatographic methods, EEVD presents some advantages such as time of analyses (15 min), sample preparation, and a LOD of 1.0 pg mL-1. We glimpse that EEVD meets the principles of robustness and accuracy, desirable analytic parameters for assays destined to pandemics control strategies.

On the Weak Binding and Spectroscopic Signature of SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 Interaction with RNA.

The SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 14 (nsp14), known as exoribonuclease is encoded from the large polyprotein of viral genome and is a major constituent of the transcription replication complex (TRC) machinery of the viral RNA synthesis. This protein is highly conserved among the coronaviruses and is a potential target for the development of a therapeutic drug. Here, we report the SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 expression, show its structural characterization, and ss-RNA exonuclease activity through vibrational and electronic spectroscopies. The deconvolution of amide-I band in the FTIR spectrum of the protein revealed a composition of 35 % α-helix and 25 % ß-sheets. The binding between protein and RNA is evidenced from the spectral changes in the amide-I region of the nsp14, showing protein conformational changes during the binding process. A value of 20.60±3.81 mol L-1 of the binding constant (KD ) is obtained for nsp14/RNA complex. The findings reported here can motivate further studies to develop structural models for better understanding the mechanism of exonuclease enzymes for correcting the viral genome and can help in the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2.

On the Challenges for the Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Based on a Review of Current Methodologies.

Diagnosis of COVID-19 has been challenging owing to the need for mass testing and for combining distinct types of detection to cover the different stages of the infection. In this review, we have surveyed the most used methodologies for diagnosis of COVID-19, which can be basically categorized into genetic-material detection and immunoassays. Detection of genetic material with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and similar techniques has been achieved with high accuracy, but these methods are expensive and require time-consuming protocols which are not widely available, especially in less developed countries. Immunoassays for detecting a few antibodies, on the other hand, have been used for rapid, less expensive tests, but their accuracy in diagnosing infected individuals has been limited. We have therefore discussed the strengths and limitations of all of these methodologies, particularly in light of the required combination of tests owing to the long incubation periods. We identified the bottlenecks that prevented mass testing in many countries, and proposed strategies for further action, which are mostly associated with materials science and chemistry. Of special relevance are the methodologies which can be integrated into point-of-care (POC) devices and the use of artificial intelligence that do not require products from a well-developed biotech industry.

Problems of Interpreting Diagnostic Tests for SARS-CoV-2: Analytical Chemistry Concerns.

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak made the development of reliable, sensitive, and reproducible testing methods crucial throughout the world. Without proper analytical validation, testing results can be misinterpreted, leading to a certain degree of misinformation in the clinical area. To accurately assess the methods, the determination of an analytical linear range of response of the assay is fundamental. Based on this curve, the evaluation of some parameters as sensitivity, limit of detection, and limit of quantification can be done, as well as the establishment of cut-off values. Statistical treatments of the collected data can be performed for reproducibility and reliability evaluations. In this context, there is a wide range of analytical concerns that should be in-depth discussed in medical, biomedical and chemical areas. This letter aims to briefly clarify some analytical chemistry concepts, as sensitivity, cut-off and limit of detection, and their application towards clinical diagnosis.