Smartphone-Based Multiplexed Biosensing Tools for Health Monitoring.

Many emerging technologies have the potential to improve health care by providing more personalized approaches or early diagnostic methods. In this review, we cover smartphone-based multiplexed sensors as affordable and portable sensing platforms for point-of-care devices. Multiplexing has been gaining attention recently for clinical diagnosis considering certain diseases require analysis of complex biological networks instead of single-marker analysis. Smartphones offer tremendous possibilities for on-site detection analysis due to their portability, high accessibility, fast sample processing, and robust imaging capabilities. Straightforward digital analysis and convenient user interfaces support networked health care systems and individualized health monitoring. Detailed biomarker profiling provides fast and accurate analysis for disease diagnosis for limited sample volume collection. Here, multiplexed smartphone-based assays with optical and electrochemical components are covered. Possible wireless or wired communication actuators and portable and wearable sensing integration for various sensing applications are discussed. The crucial features and the weaknesses of these devices are critically evaluated.

Analytical performances of different diagnostic methods for SARS-CoV-2 virus - A review.

Covid-19 is a dreadful pandemic of the 21st century that has created fear among people, affected the whole world, and taken thousands of lives. It infects the respiratory system and causes flu-type symptoms. According to the WHO reports, 2,082,745 deaths and 96,267,473 confirmed cases were perceived all around the globe till January 22, 2021. The significant roots of transmission are inhalation and direct contact with the infected surface. Its incubation period is 2-14 days and remains asymptomatic in most people. However, no treatment and vaccine are available for the people, so preventive measures like social distancing, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and frequent hand-washing are the practical and only options for cure. It has affected every sector of the world, whether it is trade or health all around the world. There is high demand for diagnostic tools as high-scale and expeditious testing is crucial for controlling disease spread; thus, detection methods play an essential role. Like flu, Covid-19 is also detected through RT-PCR, as the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested, but it is time taking and expensive method that many countries cannot afford. A vaccine is a crucial aspect of eradicating disease, and for SARS-CoV-2), plasma therapy and antibiotics therapy are used in the early spreading phase. The later stage involves forming a vaccine based on spike protein, N-protein, and whole-viral antigen that effectively immunizes the population worldwide until herd immunity can be achieved. In this review, we will discuss all possible and developed techniques for identifying SARS-CoV-2 and make a comparison of their specificity, selectivity, and cost; thus, we choose an appropriate method for fast, reliable, and pocket-friendly detection.

Development of amperometric biosensor based on cloned hemagglutinin gene of H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

The recent emergence of respiratory viruses especially COVID-19 and swine flu has underscored the need for robust and bedside detection methods. Swine flu virus is a very infectious virus of the respiratory system. Timely detection of this virus with high specificity and sensitivity is crucial for reducing morbidity as well as mortality. Cloning of gene segments into a non-infectious agent helps in the development of detection methods, vaccine development, and other studies. In this study, cloning was used to develop a biosensor for H1N1 pdm09 detection. A segment of the hemaglutinin gene was cloned in a vector and characterized with the help of colony touch PCR and blue-white screening. The recombinant plasmid was extracted, and the gene segment was confirmed with the help of HA-specific primers. A 5' amine group-attached hemagglutinin (HA) gene-specific DNA probe was immobilized on the working gold electrode surface to make a quick, specific, reliable, and sensitive detection method for H1N1pdm09 virus in human nasal swab samples. The HA probe was immobilized on the cysteine applied gold electrode of the screen-printed electrode through 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). Differential pulse voltammetry was performed with the help of methylene blue, which is a redox indicator for the detection of single-stranded cloned HA gene segment. The developed sensor depicted high sensitivity for the H1N1 influenza virus with a detection limit of 0.6 ng ssDNA/6 µl of the cloned HA sample. Specificity was also checked using H3N2 virus, N. meningitides, influenza A and positive H1N1pdm09 samples.

Conventional and Nanotechnology-Based Sensing Methods for SARS Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

Ongoing pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected over 218 countries and infected 88,512,243 and 1,906,853 deaths reported by Jan. 8, 2021. At present, vaccines are being developed in Europe, Russia, USA, and China, although some of these are in phase III of trials, which are waiting to be available for the general public. The only option available now is by vigorous testing, isolation of the infected cases, and maintaining physical and social distances. Numerous methods are now available or being developed for testing the suspected cases, which may act as carriers of the virus. In this review, efforts have been made to discuss the conventional as well as fast, rapid, and efficient testing methods developed for the diagnosis of 2019-nCoV.Testing methods can be based on the sensing of targets, which include RNA, spike proteins and antibodies such as IgG and IgM. Apart from the development of RNA targeted PCR, antibody and VSV pseudovirus neutralization assay along with several other diagnostic techniques have been developed. Additionally, nanotechnology-based sensors are being developed for the diagnosis of the virus, and these are also discussed.

Point of care detection of COVID-19: Advancement in biosensing and diagnostic methods.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has created much inconvenience and fear that the virus can seriously affect humans, causing health hazards and death. This pandemic has created much worry and as per the report by World Health Organization (WHO), more than 43 million individuals in 215 countries and territories were affected. People around the world are still struggling to overcome the problems associated with this pandemic. Of all the available methods, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been widely practiced for the pandemic detection even though several diagnostic tools are available having varying accuracy and sensitivity. The method offers many advantages making it a life-saving tool, but the method has the limitation of transporting to the nearest pathology lab, thus limiting its application in resource limited settings. This has a risen a crucial need for point-of-care devices for on-site detection. In this venture, biosensors have been used, since they can be applied immediately at the point-of-care. This review will discuss about the available diagnostic methods and biosensors for COVID-19 detection.