Nano Biosensor for Rapid Detection of Flu Virus

The early-stage detection of epidemic viruses is of prime importance as it may increase the probability of a patient’ survival. Conventional detection techniques include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which requires long processing time for accurate results, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which has low sensitivity. Unlike conventional techniques, this biosensor uses near-infrared triggered upconversion luminescence to capture the virus genes, and reports a change in the luminescence intensity in the presence of virus genes. It enables rapid and sensitive detection of viruses as it poses minimal damage to virus oligonucleotides. Moreover, the hybrid heterogeneous design based on disposable nanoprobe/nanoporous membrane assay is capable of detecting subtypes of influenza viruses in a simple way. It can be made as a microarray for simultaneous detection of subtypes of influenza viruses, which can greatly shorten the reaction time.