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An automated microarray diagnostic system for SARS-CoV-2 protein-specific antibodies was developed using photoimmobilized viral proteins. Photoimmobilization strategy was used to immobilize proteins by crosslinking reactions of photoreactive polymers. Aqueous solutions of proteins were spotted on a polymer-coated plate and dried in air. Then, the proteins were immobilized via irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp. Virus-specific IgG and IgM in the serum were automatically assayed using the microarray plate. After the serum was added on the microarray plate, peroxidase-conjugated anti-human-IgG or -IgM antibody was added, and the chemical luminescence intensity was detected using a sensitive charge-coupled device camera. The developed microarray assay showed higher sensitivity than the conventional immune chromatography. Additionally, compared with conventional microarray using nitrocellulose slide, the developed microarray format was useful for rapid assay formats in serodiagnosis of viral infectious diseases and assessment of immune status for clinical applications.

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Photoreactive polymers that generate active species upon irradiation with light are very useful for modifying the surfaces of substrates. However, water solubility decreases as the number of photoreactive functional groups on the polymer increases because most photoreactive functional groups are hydrophobic. In order to improve the hydrophilicity of the photoreactive polymer, we synthesized polyethylene glycol-based photoreactive polymers bearing hydrophobic azidophenyl groups on their side chains. Because of the hydrophilicity of the ethylene glycol main chain, polymers with large numbers of azidophenyl groups were solubilized in protic solvents compared to hydrophobic alkylene chain-based polymers prepared by radical polymerization of methacrylate monomers. Polymers were immobilized on various substrates by irradiation with ultraviolet light and were shown to suppress nonspecific interactions between proteins and cells on the substrate. We conclude that such polymers are useful, highly water soluble antifouling agents.