Voltammetric-based immunosensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen.
Mikrochim Acta
; 188(6): 199, 2021 05 26.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1245646
ABSTRACT
Since the COVID-19 disease caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2) was declared a pandemic, it has spread rapidly, causing one of the most serious outbreaks in the last century. Reliable and rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 are crucial to control and manage the outbreak. Here, a label-free square wave voltammetry-based biosensing platform for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples is reported. The sensor was constructed on screen-printed carbon electrodes coated with gold nanoparticles. The electrodes were functionalized using 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) which was used for the immobilization of an antibody against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N protein). The binding of the immunosensor with the N protein caused a change in the electrochemical signal. The detection was realised by measuring the change in reduction peak current of a redox couple using square wave voltammetry at 0.04 V versus Ag ref. electrode on the immunosensor upon binding with the N protein. The electrochemical immunosensor showed high sensitivity with a linear range from 1.0 pg.mL-1 to 100 ng.mL-1 and a limit of detection of 0.4 pg.mL-1 for the N protein in PBS buffer pH 7.4. Moreover, the immunosensor did not exhibit significant response with other viruses such as HCoV, MERS-CoV, Flu A and Flu B, indicating the high selectivity of the sensor for SARS-CoV-2. However, cross reactivity of the biosensor with SARS-CoV is indicated, which gives ability of the sensor to detect both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. The biosensor was successfully applied to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in clinical samples showing good correlation between the biosensor response and the RT-PCR cycle threshold values. We believe that the capability of miniaturization, low-cost and fast response of the proposed label-free electrochemical immunosensor will facilitate the point-of-care diagnosis of COVID 19 and help prevent further spread of infection.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Immunoassay
/
Electrochemical Techniques
/
Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins
/
COVID-19 Testing
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Mikrochim Acta
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S00604-021-04867-1
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