A label-free point-of-care electrochemical biosensor for early and accurate detection of monkeypox

This research paper presents the development of an electrochemical sensor for detecting the A29 protein, a critical antigen associated with the Monkeypox (MPX) virus. The sensor incorporates a functionalizing monoclonal antibody at the working gold electrode's surface as the virus's recognition element. Differential pulse voltammetry was utilized to monitor the presence of the A29 protein. To facilitate the detection of the antigen-antibody coupling on the electrode surface, the sensor utilized a redox probe consisting of a 5 mM solution of ferri/ferrocyanide (1:1 M ratio). Experimental results demonstrated the sensor's ability to detect the A29 protein by measuring changes in peak current. A remarkable decrease in current was observed after binding the antigen to the antibody at the surface of the working gold electrode and the sensor exhibited linear response for A29 protein over a concentration range of (1.8-100 ng/mL). Notably, the sensor exhibited excellent performance in detecting A29 protein spiked in saliva demonstrating high accuracy and precision without interference from matrix constituents. This research contributes to developing a sensitive and specific detection method for the A29 protein, offering a potential tool for the early and accurate identification of the MPX virus and present promising prospects for future applications in virus detection and diagnosis.