SOI-FET Sensors with Dielectrophoretic Concentration of Viruses and Proteins

Abstract

Quick label-free virus screening and highly sensitive analytical tools/techniques are becoming extremely important in a pandemic. In this study, we developed a biosensing device based on the silicon nanoribbon multichannel and dielectrophoretic controlled sensors functionalized with SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies for the use as a platform for the detection and studding of properties of viruses and their protein components. Replicatively defective viral particles based on vesicular stomatitis viruses and HIV-1 were used as carrier molecules to deliver the target SARS-CoV-2 spike S-proteins to sensory elements. It was shown that fully CMOS-compatible nanoribbon sensors have the subattomolar sensitivity and dynamic range of 4 orders. Specific interaction between S-proteins and antibodies leads to the accumulation of the negative charge on the sensor surface. Nonspecific interactions of the viral particles lead to the positive charge accumulation. It was shown that dielectrophoretic controlled sensors allow to estimate the effective charge of the single virus at the sensor surface and separate it from the charge associated with the binding of target proteins with the sensor surface.

Investigation of Limitations in the Detection of Antibody + Antigen Complexes Using the Silicon-on-Insulator Field-Effect Transistor Biosensor

“…The SOI-FET biosensor is based on a field-effect transistor with two isolated gates [15][16][17]. The first gate is designed as a nanowire (NW) between the source and the drain of the biosensor.…”

“…The fundamental principles of these devices are the laws of physics and chemistry, using the understanding of the transfer of the analyte as a result of its diffusion and convection and controlling the kinetics of binding and chemical reactions in the sample under study. Various biosensors, along with their characteristics, sensitivity, and design elements, are presented in the literature [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. However, the problems of particle detection probability using sensors have received little attention in the literature.…”