A single-molecule RNA electrical biosensor for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic shows a critical need for rapid, inexpensive, and ultrasensitive early detection methods based on biomarker analysis to reduce mortality rates by containing the spread of epidemics. This can be achieved through the electrical detection of nucleic acids at the single-molecule le...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biosensors & bioelectronics 2023-11, Vol.239, p.115624-115624, Article 115624
Main Authors: Gunasinghe Pattiya Arachchillage, Keshani G., Chandra, Subrata, Williams, Ajoke, Rangan, Srijith, Piscitelli, Patrick, Florence, Lily, Ghosal Gupta, Sonakshi, Artes Vivancos, Juan M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomolecular electronics
COVID-19 detection
Pathogen screening
Single-molecule biosensors
STM
STM-BJ
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Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic shows a critical need for rapid, inexpensive, and ultrasensitive early detection methods based on biomarker analysis to reduce mortality rates by containing the spread of epidemics. This can be achieved through the electrical detection of nucleic acids at the single-molecule level. In particular, the scanning tunneling microscopic-assisted break junction (STM-BJ) method can be utilized to detect individual nucleic acid molecules with high specificity and sensitivity in liquid samples. Here, we demonstrate single-molecule electrical detection of RNA coronavirus biomarkers, including those of SARS-CoV-2 as well as those of different variants and subvariants. Our target sequences include a conserved sequence in the human coronavirus family, a conserved target specific for the SARS-CoV-2 family, and specific targets at the variant and subvariant levels. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to distinguish between different variants of the COVID-19 virus using electrical conductance signals, as recently suggested by theoretical approaches. Our results pave the way for future miniaturized single-molecule electrical biosensors that could be game changers for infectious diseases and other public health applications. •A single-molecule all-electric biosensor for COVID-19 as a proof-of-concept.•We target RNA biomarkers for variants and subvariants using scanning tunneling microscopy-assisted break junctions in liquid.•The sensor is highly specific and sensitive to one-base differences with single-molecule LOD.•We pave the way for future miniaturized single-molecule electrical biosensors for different crucial applications.
ISSN:0956-5663
1873-4235
DOI:10.1016/j.bios.2023.115624