Ultrasensitive Aptasensors for the Detection of Viruses Based on Opto-Electrochemical Readout Systems

Abstract

Viral infections are becoming the foremost driver of morbidity, mortality and economic loss all around the world. Treatment for diseases associated to some deadly viruses are challenging tasks, due to lack of infrastructure, finance and availability of rapid, accurate and easy-to-use detection methods or devices. The emergence of biosensors has proven to be a success in the field of diagnosis to overcome the challenges associated with traditional methods. Furthermore, the incorporation of aptamers as bio-recognition elements in the design of biosensors has paved a way towards rapid, cost-effective, and specific detection devices which are insensitive to changes in the environment. In the last decade, aptamers have emerged to be suitable and efficient biorecognition elements for the detection of different kinds of analytes, such as metal ions, small and macro molecules, and even cells. The signal generation in the detection process depends on different parameters; one such parameter is whether the labelled molecule is incorporated or not for monitoring the sensing process. Based on the labelling, biosensors are classified as label or label-free; both have their significant advantages and disadvantages. Here, we have primarily reviewed the advantages for using aptamers in the transduction system of sensing devices. Furthermore, the labelled and label-free opto-electrochemical aptasensors for the detection of various kinds of viruses have been discussed. Moreover, numerous globally developed aptasensors for the sensing of different types of viruses have been illustrated and explained in tabulated form.

Detection of Emerging Pollutants Using Aptamer-Based Biosensors: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Outlook

“…These biosensors have multiple advantages, such as high consistency between batches, low development cost, high chemical stability, sensitivity, non-toxicity to living cells, and ease of modification and synthesis. In addition, they are resistant to changes in pH, temperature, and ionic strength [ 15 , 17 , 18 ].…”

“…Aptamers can acquire complex three-dimensional (3D) structures, such as G-quadruplexes, multi-branched junctions, or loops, that are immobilized on diverse supports such as electrodes, glass chips, and nano or microparticles through the addition of coatings (streptavidin or avidin), chemical groups (amino, hydroxyl or carboxyl) or terminal modifications (thiol group) [ 12 ]. Aptamers bind to their targets by electrostatic and intramolecular interactions (π-π stacking, Van der Waals forces, and hydrogen bonds), recognizing various analytes such as metal ions or molecules as proteins, and even identifying living cells or tissues [ 17 , 18 ]. In addition to the aptamers, aptasensors have a transducer element as well.…”

Polysaccharides for Medical Technology: Properties and Applications

“…They can test analytes in complicated matrices with little sample preparation and can be used both in vivo and in vitro. [275,276] Functional proteins, nucleic acids, cell organelles, or even whole living cells are immobilized on a physicochemical transducer surface that can translate the strong interaction of the immobilized bio-entity with its associated binding partner analyte into measurable, concentration-dependent electrical signals. The focus in this review will be on polysaccharide-based compounds for biosensor.…”

An electrochemical membrane-based aptasensor for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 receptor-binding domain

“…The electrochemical aptamer-based sensors (aptasensors) and immune-based sensors (immunosensors) are widely used biosensors for the detection of the biomarkers related to SARS-CoV-2 [25] , [26] . The electrochemical aptasensors [27] , [28] , [29] have several advantages over the immunosensors [30] , [31] , [32] including low price, high stability, ease of fabrication, and in some cases better specificity and affinity.…”