Determining the Solar Inactivation Rate of BK Polyomavirus by Molecular Beacon

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Molecular diagnostics
• Virology

Background:

• Viral pathogens in water pose public health risks.
• BK Polyomavirus (BKPyV) is an emerging indicator of microbiological water quality.
• Accurate and rapid detection methods are crucial for water safety assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a quantum dot-based molecular beacon (MB) assay for BKPyV detection.
• To characterize the solar inactivation rate of BKPyV using the MB assay.
• To assess the suitability of BKPyV as a microbiological indicator for water quality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a quantum dot-based molecular beacon (MB) assay targeting BKPyV mRNA.
• Exposed BKPyV to solar irradiation and monitored inactivation rates using the MB assay.
• Validated MB results with traditional cell-culture assays and immunofluorescence detection.

Main Results:

• The MB assay rapidly characterized BKPyV inactivation rates under solar irradiation (kobs = 0.578 ± 0.024 h⁻¹, R² = 0.92).
• MB assay results showed a strong correlation with traditional cell-culture methods (R² = 0.93).
• Validated inactivation rates were consistent between MB and cell-culture assays (kobs = 0.568 ± 0.011 h⁻¹, R² = 0.97).

Conclusions:

• Quantum dot-based MBs provide a rapid and reliable method for characterizing viral inactivation profiles.
• This study demonstrates the first use of MBs for microbiological inactivation profiling.
• BKPyV shows potential as a reliable indicator organism for assessing water quality and disinfection efficacy.