ELECTRA platform: Electrochemical-based Aptasensor for early detection of COVID-19

由严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2型(SARS-CoV-2)引起的新冠肺炎具有很强的传染性。因此，新冠肺炎的诊断检测对于追踪病毒、告知病例管理和抑制病毒传播至关重要。目前对新冠肺炎的检测依赖于基于实验室的病毒基因识别或抗体检测；然而，这些检测昂贵、耗时，并且需要专门的设备和训练有素的人员。因此，快速、可靠和负担得起的新冠肺炎检测在全球范围内存在诊断缺口。目前的检测方案也忽略了新冠肺炎生物标志物的一个关键来源，这些生物标志物可以快速预测感染，并通过产生称为细胞因子的免疫蛋白来利用人体的炎症反应来补充病毒检测。人体的细胞因子反应在感染后24小时内发生。这些细胞因子的过度产生被称为细胞因子风暴，与康复后的健康并发症(如肺炎)有关。因此，一种同时检测病毒病原体和验证宿主细胞因子生物标志物的诊断装置将为新冠肺炎的早期检测提供二合一的诊断解决方案。然而，没有这样的实时、无标签、特定和敏感的诊断解决方案可以在单一平台上实现这一点。拟议的研究项目和合作伙伴关系旨在通过开发一个二合一的新冠肺炎病毒和免疫检测平台-ELECTRA平台(基于电化学的适配传感器的缩写)来解决这一技术差距。该传感器将被配置为场效应晶体管，其中基于石墨烯的传导通道将被一组对SARS-CoV-2结构蛋白和新冠肺炎上调的细胞因子具有高亲和力的适体功能化。它将被集成到ELECTRA实时探测器的原型中。该方法是一种独特的早期检测新冠肺炎的技术，也有可能应用于其他病毒感染的诊断。

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly infectious. Therefore, diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is critical for tracking the virus, informing case management and suppressing viral transmission. Current tests for COVID-19 rely on laboratory-based viral gene identification or antibody testing; however, these tests are expensive, time-consuming and require specialized equipment and trained personnel. Hence, there is a worldwide diagnostic gap for COVID-19 testing that is fast, reliable and affordable. Current testing protocols also overlook a key source of COVID-19 biomarkers that can rapidly predict infection and complement viral detection by using the body's inflammatory response through the production of immune proteins called cytokines. The body's cytokine response occurs within 24 hours of infection. The hyperproduction of these cytokines, known as a cytokine-storm, has been linked to post-recovery health complications such as pneumonia. Therefore, a diagnostic device that simultaneously detects the viral pathogen and verifies host cytokine biomarkers would provide a two-in-one diagnostic solution for the early detection of COVID-19. However, there is no such real-time, label-free, specific and sensitive diagnostic solution that can achieve this on a single platform. The proposed research project and partnership aim to address this technology gap through the development of a two-in-one COVID-19 viral and immune detection platform - the ELECTRA platform (short for ELECTRochemical-based Aptasensor). The sensor will be configured as a field-effect transistor in which a graphene-based conducting channel (GFET) will be functionalized with a selected group of aptamers with high affinity towards SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins and COVID-19 elevated cytokines. It will be integrated into a prototype of the ELECTRA real-time detector. The proposed approach is a unique technique for the early detection of COVID-19 and also has the potential to be applied for the diagnostics of other viral infections.