A temperature compensated fiber probe for highly sensitive detection in virus gene biosensing

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optoelectronics
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Avian influenza poses a significant global health threat.
• Accurate and rapid detection of H7N9 virus is crucial for disease control.
• Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity or specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative reflective fiber optic probe for precise H7N9 avian influenza virus gene detection.
• To achieve high sensitivity and specificity in a biosensing platform.
• To provide a practical engineering solution for light-intensity-modulated biosensing.

Main Methods:

• Designed a reflective fiber optic probe combining multimode fiber (MMF) and seven-core photonic crystal fiber (SCF-PCF) to form a semi-open Fabry-Pérot (FPI) cavity.
• Developed a quasi-distributed parallel sensor array for temperature compensation.
• Functionalized the fiber optic probe with streptavidin for specific H7N9 gene capture.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated exceptional sensitivity in light intensity-refractive index (RI) response.
• Achieved a remarkable RI response sensitivity of up to 532.7 dB/RIU with temperature compensation.
• Attained a low detection limit of 10^-2 pM for H7N9 avian influenza virus gene detection with high specificity.

Conclusions:

• The developed fiber optic biosensor offers a highly sensitive and specific method for H7N9 avian influenza virus gene detection.
• This innovative probe structure represents a significant advancement in biosensing technology.
• The biosensor has potential for wide-ranging applications in biological detection and diagnostics.