Highly sensitive detection of influenza virus with SERS aptasensor

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biotechnology
• Virology

Background:

• Influenza virus poses a significant global health threat, necessitating rapid and accurate diagnostic tools.
• Current detection methods often lack the required sensitivity, speed, or specificity for timely diagnosis and strain identification.
• Aptasensors offer a promising alternative due to their high specificity and potential for signal amplification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive and rapid aptasensor for influenza virus detection using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).
• To evaluate the broad strain-specificity and limit of detection of the developed aptasensor.
• To demonstrate the potential for strain-independent determination of influenza viruses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for signal amplification in aptasensor development.
• Employed aptamers, specifically RHA0385, for the recognition of influenza virus hemagglutinin.
• Constructed a sandwich assay with primary aptamers on a SERS substrate, captured influenza viruses, and secondary aptamers labeled with Raman-active molecules.

Main Results:

• Achieved significant signal amplification (10^6-10^9 times) using SERS, enabling excellent sensitivity.
• Demonstrated broad strain-specificity of aptamer RHA0385 against various hemagglutinin subtypes (H1, H3, H5) and whole viruses.
• Established a low limit of detection (1 × 10^-4 hemagglutination units per probe) for H3N2 virus.
• Observed that signal intensity was influenced by the concentration of both primary and secondary aptamers.

Conclusions:

• The developed SERS-based aptasensor provides a highly sensitive and rapid method for influenza virus detection.
• The aptasensor exhibits broad strain-specificity, enabling the identification of diverse influenza viral strains.
• This technology holds potential for fast, low-cost, and strain-independent determination of influenza viruses, aiding in diagnostics and surveillance.