Biosensors as a future diagnostic approach for COVID-19

Abstract

Biosensors are important devices in clinical diagnostics, food processing, and environmental monitoring for detecting various analytes, especially viruses. These biosensors provide rapid and effective instruments for qualitative and quantitative detection of infectious diseases in real-time. Here, we report the development of biosensors based on various techniques. Additionally, we will explain the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the most common biosensors that are currently used for viral detection, which could be optical (e.g., surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), Surface plasmon resonance (SPR)) and electrochemical biosensors. Based on that, this review recommends methods for efficient, simple, low-cost, and rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19) that employ the two types of biosensors depending on attaching hemoglobin β-chain and binding of specific antibodies with SARS-CoV-2 antigens, respectively.

Keywords: ACE2 receptors; Bioreceptors; COVID-19; Electrochemical; Rapid detection; SARS-CoV-2; SPR; Spike proteins; Viral biosensor.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

Principle of biosensor, where the analyte bind specifically to bioreceptor that lead to generating a signal (electrochemical, optical or piezoelectric) which can be amplified to be read by data processing.

Fig. 2

(a) Immune complex bounded to sensor chip that is coated with suitable material (such as gold metal) which reflects the incident light in a given angle appropriate for detection of analyte, (b) measurement of sensing angle over time. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 3

(a) a schematic example of platform of the sensor (b) linkers used to linking the bioreceptors components with biosensor platform (c) bioreceptors (Abs) bind to linker, (BSA) as a blocking agent (d) the analyte (Ag) attached with bioreceptors (Abs) (e) the immune complex formation generates a quantitative electric signal.