Electrochemical biosensing platform based on hydrogen bonding for detection of the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody

• Published in: Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry 2022-01, Vol.414 (3), p.1313-1322
• Main Authors: Liv, Lokman, Yener, Melisa, Çoban, Gizem, Can, Şevval Arzu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Analytical Chemistry; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Antigens; Biochemistry; Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation; Biosensors; Bovine serum albumin; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Control; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - diagnosis; COVID-19 - immunology; COVID-19 Serological Testing - instrumentation; Cross-reactivity; Electrochemical analysis; Electrochemical Techniques - instrumentation; Electrochemistry; Epidemics; Equipment Design; Food Science; Glassy carbon; Humans; Hydrogen Bonding; Immunoassay; Influenza A; Laboratory Medicine; Methods; Models, Molecular; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Pandemics; Public health; Research Paper; Respiratory diseases; Saliva; Saliva - virology; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Selectivity; Sensitivity and Specificity; Serum albumin; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - analysis; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - immunology; Spike protein; Turkey; Viral antibodies; Viral diseases
• ISSN: 1618-2642; 1618-2650; 1618-2650
• DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03752-3

Among the deadliest pandemics in history, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has wreaked havoc on human lives, economies and public health systems worldwide. To temper its effects, diagnostic methods that are simple, rapid, inexpensive, accurate, selective and sensitive continue to be necessary. In our study, we developed an electrochemical biosensing platform based on gold clusters, mercaptoethanol, the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen and bovine serum albumin-modified glassy carbon electrode able to detect the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody. Moreover, during the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody in spiked-real samples, the anodic signal of the produced biosensor at 0.85 V decreased as the amount of the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody increased. Meanwhile, the recovery and relative standard deviation values for saliva and oropharyngeal swab samples were 97.73% and 3.35% and 102.43% and 4.63%, respectively. In 35 min, the biosensing platform could detect 0.03 fg/mL of the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody in synthetic media and spiked-saliva or -oropharyngeal swab samples. The method thus issues a linear response to the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody from 0.1 fg/mL to 10 pg/mL. The cross-reactivity studies with spike antigens of Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus and influenza A and the antigen of pneumonia confirmed the excellent selectivity of the proposed method. The developed method was compared with the lateral flow immunoassay method in terms of sensitivity and it was found to be approximately 10 9 times more sensitive. Graphical abstract Biosensing mechanism of the platform to the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody