RAPID: Colorimetric COVID-19 Detection Using Aptamers

由于当前的COVID-19大流行，对COVID-19的精确床旁检测存在严重的紧迫性。研究人员将开发基于比色适体的COVID-19病毒传感器，该传感器将改变其颜色或在其敏感表面上视觉指示COVID-19的存在。将合成COVID-19适体，当与COVID-19结合时，将导致传感器发生肉眼可见的变化。他们还将开发COVID-19传感器，当COVID-19出现时会变成“红色”。传感器表面用COVID-19适体官能化，该适体与含有荧光微珠的缓冲溶液接触。它们还用COVID-19适体官能化。除非COVID-19将它们桥接在一起，否则珠子不会附着在传感器表面。在COVID-19存在的情况下，鲜红色的微珠附着在传感器表面上，完全改变了它的颜色。基于设计用于检测寨卡病毒的类似传感器的丰富经验，生物流体（如刺激性尿液）不会影响传感器的性能。热灭活的COVID-19将用于初步实验。这些样品将从Zeptomeirs公司获得，不需要生物安全性2级（BSL-2）实验室进行处理。本研究还将开发能够检测单一COVID-19病毒的传感器。还将开发Tunnel电流传感器（TCS）、使用COVID-19传导通道的场效应晶体管、太赫兹和紫外可见光谱、直流电导率传感器、石英晶体微量天平和微机电微量天平。太赫兹传感器沿着其较短波长的光学对应物具有在不需要适体的情况下远程感测COVID-19的潜力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is severe urgency for accurate point-of-care detection of COVID-19. The investigator will develop colorimetric aptamer-based COVID-19 virus sensors that will change their color or visually indicate the presence of COVID-19 on their sensitive surfaces. COVID-19 aptamers will be synthesized and when bonded with COVID-19 will cause a visible change in the sensor that can be viewed with the naked eye. They will also develop COVID-19 sensors that turn “red” when COVID-19 is present. The sensor surface is functionalized with the COVID-19 aptamers that is in contact with a buffer solution containing fluorescent microbeads. They are also functionalized with COVID-19 aptamers. The beads do not attach to the sensor surface unless COVID-19 is present to bridge them together. In the presence of COVID-19 the bright red microbeads attach to the sensor surface completely changing its color. Based on extensive experience with similar sensors designed to detect Zika viruses, biofluids such as stimulant urine does not affect sensor’s performance. Heat inactivated COVID-19 will be used in preliminary experiments. They will be obtained from Zeptometrix corporation and they do not require Bio Safety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories for handling. Sensors capable of detecting a single COVID-19 virus will also be developed in this study. Tunneling current sensors (TCS), field-effect transistors using COVID-19 conducting channels, terahertz and UV-VIS spectroscopy, DC conductivity sensors, quartz crystal micro balance and micro-electro-mechanical microbalance will also be developed. Terahertz sensors along with their shorter wavelength optical counterparts have the potential to remotely sense COVID-19 without requiring aptamers. The goal is to have a working COVID-19 handheld sensor in 2 months.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.