A Novel Optical Biosensing System Using Mach-Zehnder-Type Optical Waveguide for Influenza Virus Detection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optoelectronics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Viral epidemics necessitate rapid detection methods.
• Existing biosensors face limitations in detecting virus particles due to pore size constraints.
• Developing sensitive and specific influenza virus detection is a critical public health goal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a Mach-Zehnder optical waveguide as a biosensing device for influenza virus detection.
• To overcome the limitations of sol-gel pore size for virus detection.
• To establish a stable and high-density antibody immobilization method on sol-gel surfaces for influenza detection.

Main Methods:

• Modification of sol-gel glass surface with amino and carboxyl groups.
• Covalent immobilization of anti-H1N1/HA1 antibody using N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)/1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) cross-linking.
• Detection of influenza virus using the antibody-functionalized Mach-Zehnder optical biosensor.

Main Results:

• Successful preparation of a carboxyl-modified sol-gel surface for antibody immobilization.
• Demonstrated detection of influenza virus via wavelength shift in the output light spectrum.
• Observed a significant peak wavelength shift of approximately 24 nm after exposure to a 100 μg/mL influenza virus solution for 15 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The developed Mach-Zehnder optical biosensor shows significant potential for early influenza virus detection.
• The antibody immobilization strategy effectively overcomes sol-gel pore size limitations for virus sensing.
• This approach offers a promising tool for rapid and sensitive diagnosis of influenza virus, aiding epidemic control efforts.