Engineered surfaces to detect coronavirus
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Engineered surfaces to detect and prevent coronavirus by IIT Guwahati

Techniques to detect and inhibit COVID-19 employing bio-interface interactions between the surface spike protein and virus has been developed by scientists at IIT, Guwahati.

SARS-CoV-2 has surface spike glycoprotein enclosing the inner nucleic acid enclosed. The developed surfaces can be possibly used to detect as well as prevent coronavirus infection, as per the team of scientists.

Lalit M Pandey, associate professor, Dept of Biosciences, and Bioengineering stated that till now for testing COVID-19, RT-PCR based techniques and antibody-based assays have been utilized. But, longer assay time, expense, complicated processes as well as false positive or adverse outcomes are a couple of drawbacks of these methods.

He added that for the rapid detection of COVID-19, bio-interface interactions between the surface and virus surface spike protein can be studied.

He further asserted that the key step of the transmission of COVID-19 is the interaction in the contacting surfaces and spike protein. Hence, surface engineering shall assist in a fast detection approach as well as it would certainly be a really secured method of protection against the virus, for instance when used on Personal Protective Equipments.

Journals like The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Materials Science and Engineering C, Langmuir, Applied Surface Science, and ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering

have released this research study.

Pandey stated that they have uncovered an interesting approach of surface alterations by developing different self-assembled monolayers on different surfaces, causing a wide array of surface hydrophobicity (the physical property of a molecule that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water) based on the terminal functional groups having a nano-scale smooth surface. The development of self-assembled monolayers entails a quick attachment followed by a slow reorientation step.

He added that to engineer the surface with intermediate wettability, the mixed self-assembled monolayers have been prepared. For all systems, the rule of increase in the adsorbed quantity of protein with a raise in surface hydrophobicity doesn’t apply, because the protein adsorption is based on the hydrophobicity of both proteins and surfaces and is a difficult procedure.

According to the study, depending on surface properties a protein adapts to various conformations.

Pandey claimed that the features of protein can be adjusted by engineered surfaces for various applications consisting of biosensors, medicine delivery, and implants. The engineered sensor surface could be used in methods based on Quartz Crystal Microbalance, which are known for fast, real-time, and label-free detection with sensitivity, according to the latest special report.

He stated that the surfaces based approaches permit the reuse of the same surface over multiple and rapid virus detection from swab samples.

However, destabilizing the viral envelope protein by surface-protein interactions, disintegrating, and ultimately, killing the pathogen is the main use of the engineered surfaces.

He stated that the surface treatments of PPEs, which have antiviral properties and inhibit the COVID-19 infection. To attain strong surface-protein interactions, the surface of personal protective equipment can be engineered.

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Engineered surfaces to detect and prevent coronavirus by IIT Guwahati

Author: Sruthi S

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