There is an urgent, global, need for new therapeutic, vaccine and diagnostic interventions to address the COVID-19 challenge. Current diagnostics are mostly based upon PCR (polymerase chain reaction) methods where the genetic material of the SARS-COV-2 virus is isolated and sequenced. A challenge with this method is that significant infrastructure and trained personnel are needed, and the results are not instant. In this work, conducted in collaboration with Iceni Diagnostics (and MANY UoW colleagues) we hijacked a pregnancy test set up, to enable rapid detection. Crucial to this was the identification that sialic acids (a type of cell-surface glycan) bind the SARS-COV_2 spike protein. By incorporating sialic acids onto the ends of polymers, immobilized onto gold nanoparticles we made a paper-based tool, enabling rapid detection of the spike protein, a virus mimic and also a virus engineered to 'look like' SARS-COV-2. This method may enable ultra rapid and low cost screening to identify individuals who carry the virus, to triage for the PCR testing. We are actively pursuing the development of this technology.

Read the paper here

The SARS-COV-2 Spike Protein Binds Sialic Acids and Enables Rapid Detection in a Lateral Flow Point of Care Diagnostic Device