Surface Plasmon Resonance-Based Analysis of Ligand Binding Kinetics in Chikungunya Virus Drug Discovery

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging arbovirus lacking widely effective antiviral therapies, highlighting the need to characterize molecular interactions essential for its replication and pathogenesis. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a sensitive, label-free technique that enables real-time analysis of biomolecular interactions by detecting refractive index changes at a sensor surface. SPR provides precise kinetic and affinity measurements for protein-protein, protein-RNA, and protein-ligand interactions using minimal sample quantities and supporting high-throughput screening. In CHIKV research, it has been applied to evaluate antiviral compounds, antibodies, receptor binding, and viral protein complexes. This chapter outlines key methodological considerations, including ligand preparation, immobilization strategies, assay optimization, and kinetic analysis.