Biosensors - Key to rapid COVID-19 Tests

COVID-19 has shaken up the entire world in a mere a few months.While conventional testing technologies such as quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), serology tests have their own trade-offs but they are time-consuming, labor-intensive and unavailable in remote areas.

And on the contrary, chip-based or paper-based biosensors are typically user-friendly low-cost devices having tremendous potential for rapid medical diagnosis.

The (qRT-PCR) technology looks for a specific sequence of RNA in the sample unique to coronavirus and copies it repeatedly with the addition of different chemicals and the temperature of the solution is cycled. A fluorescent molecule is attached to each copy and when enough RNA copies collect over; the sample glows when hit by light.

With this test, there are few issues; firstly, it is a lab process; secondly, the necessary chemicals can be short in supply and the fastest tests struggle with false negatives. 

Then, there are serology tests but it can recognize only if someone has those viruses in the past not if he/she is currently suffering. This test majorly measures if the blood has started making antibodies against that particular virus. This is a color-change test more like a pregnancy test stick. According to the sources, around 100 antibodies tests have been launched in the market but the accuracy varies.

These traditional diagnoses are either higher in cost or the accuracy varies with a great range and are slow but with the rapid increase in patients’ numbers, the world searches for faster, low-cost solutions.

Companies like Cardea Bio and Hememics are publicly talking about their work on developing such biosensors. 

For viral RNA or antibody detection, the biosensors rely on semiconductor circuitry coated with a biological extract that binds with the biological interest in the sample fluid, and the noticeable flow of electrons changes when such binding occurs. 

Structured much like a Silicon MOSFET with source, drain, and gate between them, in biosensors, the gate is controlled by the binding of the biomolecules more like a BioFET. 

Along with that, biosensors do not require multiplication of the biological material, therefore, the test will be practically lot speedier than the conventional ones. And since any chip contains multiple circuits, multiple tests for different kinds can run simultaneously without any test intervening with the other and this will not only reduce the false results but will provide additional information about the patient’s health.

Cardea has been working over programmable biosensors to platforms to detect DNA, RNA, antibodies and other molecular signals since 2013 and in Jan’2019, it was also ready to work with its commercial partners to develop its products and by the end of 2019, COBO technologies announced that it will be using Cardea platform in a system for quality control of genome engineering when the global pandemic drew the whole world’s attention. 

For a fact for you to be known, Cardea’s special sauce is its use for special molecules from CRISPER technology as a biological detection for RNA.

According to the CEO, Michael Heltzen, Cardea is currently working over the CRISPER test for virus detection for several months and the tests are performing well. Optimizations are still on the line and the issue is from mass production to extreme mass production which is considered to be a holding back matter according to Heltzen but as they say, the company is in discussion with large investors and companies for financial support.

Hememics, the company popular for developing a special sauce that can preserve biological material in a dry form, is also developing biosensors for faster covid virus detection. Before they have been putting antibodies to look for protein but now, they have flipped the chip as they say the version is in development. 

They will be able to test one form of biomolecules in one circuit and some other one on other circuits; multiple tests simultaneously on a faster rate. The technology can be used to test for the virus or the antibodies—or, in the case of a saliva sample, both simultaneously, he says.

Hememics has raised $2.5 million from AMVI Partners and hopes to receive an additional $3 million from the same investment firm and they believe it could have biosensors for coronavirus testing to market by the end of 2020. Rogue Valley Microdevices has already started manufacturing sensor chips for both Cardea and Hememics according to the sources.

Biosensors are not only a critical component to combat the current pandemic but also the future virus attacks. If we are healthy and we can fight against health hazards, we can achieve whatnot. So, we believe, the health sector should be invested in large amounts for the development of such wondrous components like biosensors reaching to massive hands. 

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