A reagentless viral detection platform

• Grant number: 20/12854-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Roberto Bueno
• Grantee: Flávia Costa Mendonça Natividade
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/05497-4 - A reagentless viral detection platform, AP.R

Abstract

This is a proposal that involves a joint partnership between the University of Sao Paulo (USP) and São Paulo State University (UNESP) and will have its main research focus on the development of portable electrochemical diagnostic devices for the rapid detection of viruses' infections of relevance for Brazil (flaviviruses) and worldwide (SARS-Covid-2) using reagentless capacitive methods already demonstrated viable (in our thematic project) to detect DENV infectious in real serological patient samples. Therefore, we are including in this proposal the use this platform to diagnose COVID-19. The proposal predicts the use of a pen-drive potentiostat that can be coupled to mobile phones. The most challenge is to develop robust and reagentless sensors for this type of device, which can effectively allow an electronic means of viruses' surveillance worldwide. The proposal is focused on overcoming the challenge of sensors fabrication.