LC biosensors (Bio-LC): new resonant sensors for direct detection of airborne viruses

Viruses suspended in the air are key in the transmission of infectious diseases. We present a label-free selective system capable of detecting in situ airborne viruses in ambient air, employing resonant LC (Inductor-Capacitator) circuits. As proof of principle, M13 bacteriophages were nebulized and monitored with this sensor. The selective recognition of viruses by the copper immune-functionalized inductor of an LC circuit resulted in shifts of its resonant frequency proportional to the virus ambient concentration. The selectivity of this resonator is due to the employed bioreceptor. So, the lowest ambient concentration of airborne M13 bacteriophage that can be selectively detected is 3 × 10⁵ pfu L^-1. This biosensing approach opens appealing perspectives for controlling the transmission of infectious diseases.