Adsorption orientations of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on ZnO nanostructured surfaces employed as electrochemical immunosensors

• Grant number: 22/13856-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: March 15, 2023
• End date: June 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Wendel Andrade Alves
• Grantee: Freddy Alejandro Nunez Esteves
• Supervisor: Quinn Besford
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/25277-1 - Electronic device for the diagnosis of Human Visceral Leishmaniasis, BP.DD

Abstract

We propose to investigate the orientation of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and Spike Protein RBD on ZnO nanostructured electrode surfaces using in-liquid atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high-resolution cryo-transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) and Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) better to understand the spatial orientation of these viral proteins to enable better construction of novel electrochemical immunosensors for serological analysis. We also propose to evaluate if mutations related to SARS-COV-2 variants spike proteins can impact the spatial orientation of the viral proteins on the ZnO nanostructured electrode surfaces. The spatial orientations from both Cryo-TEM and AFM will be analyzed side-by-side. For Cryo-TEM, using ImageJ software, it should be possible to determine an approximate direction of the Spike protein. For AFM, this will involve multiple line-profile analyses. The final component of the project will be the writing and dissemination the research results. In total, three experimental methods will help significantly understand the interactions between spike protein and ZnO nanostructures. (AU)