Point-of-need detection of pathogen-specific nucleic acid targets using magnetic particle spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic stresses the need for widely available diagnostic tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in individuals. Due to the limited availability of vaccines, diagnostic assays which are cheap, easy-to-use at the point-of-need, reliable and fast, are currently the only way to control the pandemic situation. Here we present a diagnostic assay for the detection of pathogen-specific nucleic acids based on changes of the magnetic response of magnetic nanoparticles: The target-mediated hybridization of modified nanoparticles leads to an increase in the hydrodynamic radius. This resulting change in the magnetic behaviour in an ac magnetic field can be measured via magnetic particle spectroscopy (MPS), providing a viable tool for the accurate detection of target nucleic acids.

SUBMITTER: Rosch EL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8314793 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature