SARS-CoV-2 Quantum Sensor Based on Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Diamond

Abstract

The development of highly sensitive and rapid biosensing tools targeted to the highly contagious virus SARS-CoV-2 is critical to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantum sensors can play an important role because of their superior sensitivity and fast improvements in recent years. Here we propose a molecular transducer designed for nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds, translating the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA into an unambiguous magnetic noise signal that can be optically read out. We evaluate the performance of the hybrid sensor, including its sensitivity and false negative rate, and compare it to widespread diagnostic methods. The proposed method is fast and promises to reach a sensitivity down to a few hundreds of RNA copies with false negative rate less than 1%. The proposed hybrid sensor can be further implemented with different solid-state defects and substrates, generalized to diagnose other RNA viruses, and integrated with CRISPR technology.

Fluorescent nanodiamond-based spin-enhanced lateral flow immunoassay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein and spike protein from different variants

“…In a recent study, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds (NDs) were used for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection [ 33 ]. The NDs were first noncovalently coated with polyethyleneimine (PEI), a polymer capable of forming reversible complexes with viral complementary DNA sequences, and incorporated with magnetic molecules (gadolinium, Gd 3+ ) to form the c-DNA-DOTA-Gd 3+ hybrid.…”

Diagnostic Approaches For COVID-19: Lessons Learned and the Path Forward

“…The group validated theoretically that in the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds translate into an optical readout due to the generated magnetic noise signal. 150 Figure 8 A depicts the workflow of the nanodiamonds-based sensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The energy diagram of the nanodiamonds NV and the operation principle of the sensor are shown in Figure 8 B–C.…”

“…This can cause a weaker magnetic interaction between the Gd 3+ complex and NV centers inside the nanodiamond. Reprinted with permission from ref ( 150 ). Copyright 2021 American Chemical Society.…”

Coupled Multiphysics Modelling of Sensors for Chemical, Biomedical, and Environmental Applications with Focus on Smart Materials and Low-Dimensional Nanostructures

“…In the meantime, much of today’s research is concerned with the immediate diagnostic capabilities of nanosensors, intracellular implementation protocols for nanosensors synthesized with biodegradable polymers for drug deliveries and treatments, and detection of various contaminants in the body or organ implants. In this sense, the current research that is taking place in the context of biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 detection could also be useful for the above tasks, given the analysis of the properties of nanomaterials targeted for this, including graphene, molybdenum disulfide, carbon nanotubes, and quantum dots due to their unique sensing capabilities [ 210 , 211 ]. More generally, graphene and its derivatives provide a very important source for sensor developments.…”