Nanofabulous Seminar: A Bioelectronic Platform for Rapid Detection of COVID-19 and More
COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for rapid and sensitive protein detection and quantification in simple and robust formats for widespread point-of-care applications. We here introduce a modular nanobody-functionalized organic electrochemical transistors (OECT) architecture that enables rapid quantification of single-molecule-to-nanomolar levels of specific antigens in complex bodily fluids. The sensors combine a new solution-processable organic semiconductor material in the transistor channel and the high-density and orientation-controlled bioconjugation of nanobody–SpyCatcher fusion proteins on disposable gate electrodes. They provide results after 10-min of exposure to 5 μL of unprocessed samples, maintain high specificity and single-molecule sensitivity in human saliva and serum, and can be reprogrammed to detect any protein antigen for which nanobodies exist. We demonstrate the use of this highly modular platform to detect green fluorescent protein (GFP), SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV spike proteins, and for the COVID-19 screening of unprocessed clinical nasopharyngeal swab and saliva samples with a wide range of viral loads. The speed, performance and versatility of our nanobody-functionalized OECT, and its compatibility with many sample types, suggest that this biosensor technology can complement or replace a wide range of clinical and non-clinical diagnostic assays for serious diseases including but not limited to COVID-19.
A/Prof Keying Guo
Biotechnology and Food Engineering
Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT)
Adjunct Associate Professor (Research), MIPS, Monash University
11:00am, 15/08/2023
Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication Boardroom
151 Wellington Road, Clayton, 3168
Zoom link: click here
Meeting ID: 868 4122 8148 and passcode: 780010
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