Detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein by screen-printed carbon electrodes modified by colloidal gold nanoparticles

Ausra Baradoke; Ainis Jarusaitis; Viktorija Reinikovaite; Ali Jafarov; Alexandra Elsakova; Marius Franckevicius; Martynas Skapas; Rimantas Slibinskas; Maryia Drobysh; Viktorija Liustrovaite; Arunas Ramanavicius

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125279

Detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein by screen-printed carbon electrodes modified by colloidal gold nanoparticles

Talanta. 2024 Feb 1;268(Pt 1):125279. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125279. Epub 2023 Oct 13.

Affiliations

¹ State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave. 3, 10007, Vilnius, Lithuania.
² Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, Naugarduko str. 24, 03225, Vilnius, Lithuania.
³ Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, Naugarduko str. 24, 03225, Vilnius, Lithuania; Institute of Technology, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia.
⁴ Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, Naugarduko str. 24, 03225, Vilnius, Lithuania; Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Ravila 19, 50412, Tartu, Estonia.
⁵ Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, Naugarduko str. 24, 03225, Vilnius, Lithuania; Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Sauletekio ave. 7, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania.
⁶ State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave. 3, 10007, Vilnius, Lithuania; Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, Naugarduko str. 24, 03225, Vilnius, Lithuania. Electronic address: arunas.ramanavicius@chf.vu.lt.

PMID: 37857108
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125279

Abstract

In this work, electrochemical bioanalytical systems for the determination of antibodies against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike protein (anti-rS) is reported. Environmentally friendly chemicals were applied in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The AuNPs were integrated onto the screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPE), and the biological recognition part was based on recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (rS), which during the immobilization was cross-linked by glutaraldehyde. Immobilized rS protein based biological recognition part enabled selective recognition of anti-rS antibodies. The current flux of AuNPs reduction (at +200 mV) in a pure phosphate buffer (PB) was employed as the transduction signal. It has been reported that the formation of anti-rS layers on the surface of AuNPs delays the electrode response time (t_s), tracked at the current flux density values of 80 μA cm^-2. Using the AuNP-modified SPE, we demonstrated a rapid anti-rS detection within a detection limit of 2 ng mL^-1 (0.125 binding antibody units mL^-1, 17 pM). This system can be applied to track the response of immune system towards SARS-CoV-2 infection and monitoring of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Keywords: COVID-19; Chronoamperometry; Cyclic voltammetry; Electrochemistry; Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs); Green synthesis; SARS-CoV-2.

MeSH terms

Antibodies
Biosensing Techniques*
COVID-19* / immunology
Carbon
Electrochemical Techniques
Electrodes
Gold
Humans
Metal Nanoparticles*
SARS-CoV-2
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

Substances

Antibodies
Carbon
Gold
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
spike protein, SARS-CoV-2