Aptasensor SPR testing platform for COVID-19
Early detection of COVID‑19 is critical to halting the spread of the novel corona virus. Current virus detection technologies are based on genetic or immunological assays, however, these techniques require costly instrumentation, a lab setting, extensive reagents, and specialized technical expertise, as well as long response time. These methods are not amendable to an on-site application, or as a ready-to-use kit by a non-technician. The research proposed here aims to develop diagnostic technologies for on-site applications in public settings. The novel diagnostic platform would maintain sensitivity analogous to PCR, but would offer a cost-effective user-friendly tool to untrained scientists for detection of the COVID‑19 in public locations. This level of access would lead to early detection of COVID‑19 infections, thereby helping to prevent the virus from spreading during pandemic. The goals of the proposed partnership are to design aptamers for Surface Plasmon Resonance detection of COVID‑19 proteins. This partnership will lead to the first ever technology based on the novel SPR aptasensor for detection of proteins of COVID-19.
