Validation of Rapid and Economic Colorimetric Nanoparticle Assay for SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detection in Saliva and Nasopharyngeal Swabs

• Published in: Biosensors (Basel) 2023-02, Vol.13 (2), p.275
• Main Authors: Armesto, María, Charconnet, Mathias, Marimón, José M, Fernández Regueiro, Cristina Lía, Jia, Jia, Yan, Tingdong, Sorarrain, Ane, Grzelczak, Marek, Sanromán, María, Vicente, Mónica, Klempa, Boris, Zubiria, Javier, Peng, Yuan, Zhang, Lei, Zhang, Jianhua, Lawrie, Charles H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antigens; Assaying; Biochemical assays; Chemical properties; colorimetric; Colorimetry; Control equipment; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 diagnostic tests; Developing countries; Diagnosis, Noninvasive; Diagnostic systems; Disease transmission; Health aspects; Health care; Influenza; Instrumentation; Instruments; Laboratories; LDCs; Measurement; Methods; nanoparticle; Nanoparticles; Nucleic acids; Pandemics; Pathogens; POC diagnostic; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Saliva; Salivary diagnostics; SARS-CoV-2; Self testing; Sensitivity; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Streptococcus infections; Vaccines
• ISSN: 2079-6374; 2079-6374
• DOI: 10.3390/bios13020275

Even with the widespread uptake of vaccines, the SARS-CoV-2-induced COVID-19 pandemic continues to overwhelm many healthcare systems worldwide. Consequently, massive scale molecular diagnostic testing remains a key strategy to control the ongoing pandemic, and the need for instrument-free, economic and easy-to-use molecular diagnostic alternatives to PCR remains a goal of many healthcare providers, including WHO. We developed a test (Repvit) based on gold nanoparticles that can detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA directly from nasopharyngeal swab or saliva samples with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.1 × 10 copies mL by the naked eye (or 8 × 10 copies mL by spectrophotometer) in less than 20 min, without the need for any instrumentation, and with a manufacturing price of