Oxygen-Vacancy-Engineered WO_X Nanowire-Based Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Biosensor with Lyophilized...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Molecular Biology
• Immunology

Background:

• Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreaks cause significant public health challenges, including acute and chronic joint pain.
• Rapid and sensitive detection of CHIKV is essential for effective control and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a CRISPR/Cas13a-mediated SERS lateral flow immunoassay for rapid and highly sensitive CHIKV detection.
• To evaluate the platform's performance using CHIKV plasmid, inactivated viruses, and clinical serum samples.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SERS tags using 1D nanowires loaded with gold nanoparticles, optimizing WOX nanowire structure for enhanced LSPR.
• Integration of a lyophilized CRISPR/Cas13a system into a lateral flow immunoassay for simplified workflow.
• Detection of CHIKV using the developed platform and comparison with quantitative PCR (qPCR) for clinical sample validation.

Main Results:

• The assay achieved limits of detection of 0.56 copies/μL for CHIKV plasmid and 1.03 copies/μL for inactivated CHIKV.
• The platform demonstrated 100% consistency with qPCR in diagnosing 34 clinical serum samples.
• Optimized WOX nanowire structure enhanced SERS performance through improved gold nanoparticle growth and LSPR effect.

Conclusions:

• The developed CRISPR/Cas13a-SERS lateral flow immunoassay offers a simple, rapid, and reliable tool for early and precise identification of CHIKV.
• This technology can significantly aid in the efficient monitoring and control of Chikungunya virus outbreaks.
• The platform's high sensitivity and accuracy make it a valuable asset for public health surveillance.