A SARS-CoV-2 NFC ePAD Biosensor

Proposed here is the development of an improved electrochemical sensor for detection of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein using thermoplastic electrodes (TPEs). The need for faster testing amid the COVID-19 pandemic brought about several alternatives to RT-qPCR testing for viral infections. However, current rapid tests are lacking in sensitivity (lateral flow assays and other paper based tests) or expensive (gold based electrochemical tests). TPEs solve both the sensitivity and cost issues and have been shown to be more robust than stencil printed carbon electrodes (SPCE). The TPE surfaces will be covalently modified using electroreduction of aryldiazonium salts followed by "click chemistry" to provide a platform for simple antibody crosslinking reactions. The fully characterized and functional sensor will then be the basis for future work integrating it into a microfluidic device for a full on-chip assay.