Enabling Technologies For Rapid, Label-free, Detection Of Covid-19 (VIRANOSTIC)

Viranostic aims at delivering a label-free diagnostic platform to detect Viral RNA (SARS-CoV-2) in symptomatic and convalescent patients. We propose a chip-based platform for POC diagnostics with technology based on two well-established label-free techniques, namely, Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors (FET), and Local surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) sensors to push the limit of detection to allow direct detection of viral genomic RNA without nuclei acid amplification reducing also the time to test results to minutes. The proposed developments would leverage on expertise drawn from recently concluded projects, PLASENS (FNR-CORE), NANO-PH (FNR-Attract), and ongoing project ELECTROMED (FET-Open, H2020, coordinated by LIST). The proposed LIST technologies for the label-free biosensing are uniquely positioned to deliver sensitivity together with scalability compatible with industrial production. The platform will be compatible for multiplexing (> 50-plex), providing a differential possibility to monitor viral genomic drift during an outbreak to provide an increased resolution of anti-COVID-19 immune response over current diagnostics, with anticipated benefit to prognostics and monitoring of epidemic outbreaks. The biomarkers will be synthetic DNA and so can be mass produced globally, minimizing the risks of availability of critical reagents that may occur in current technologies.