A joint research team, coordinated by the Nanoscience Institute of the National Research Council of Pisa (CNR-NANO) and the University of Pisa (Department of Pharmacy), in collaboration with the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and the Normal School, has developed A new generation biosensor capable of detecting viral proteins with high precision, including the Sars-Cov-2 spike protein present in the biological fluidsi.
This scientific result, in detail described in an article published in the magazine Nanoscale, introduces an unpublished approach in the design of biosensors, borrowing the constructive principle of Lego bricks. Technology if it bases its Modular and flexible structure, designed to be easily adaptable to the recognition of different molecular targets.
The fulcrum of the biosensor is represented by one engineered protein that integrates three distinct features in a single amino acid sequence. A portion of the protein constitutes the target To be recognized and was specifically built starting from fragments of the spike protein of the Sars-Cov-2 virus. A central section, inspired by the ACE2 human receptor, is designed to bind in a specific way to the spike viral protein, if this is present in the analyzed sample. The third component, consisting of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), acts as a “optical marker”, emitting a fluorescent signal in the presence of the virus. To contact with the target viral protein, The biosensor therefore generates an easily detectable light signal through standard instruments, allowing rapid and accurate viral identification.
Schematic representation of the sensor prototype
“The biosensor was made by integrating classic methods of production of recombinant proteins with the application of innovative technologies, such as click-Chemistry“, Eleonora Da Pozzo of the University of Pis explainsa. “Thanks to these multidisciplinary skills, derived from different scientific areas, we have been able to develop a biosensor capable of detecting minimal quantities of viral protein with a sensitivity that reaches sub-nanomolar levels“.
“The real strength of this prototype lies in its intrinsic modularitya”, underlines Giorgia Brancolini of CNR Nano. “Through the synergistic integration between experimental research, advanced molecular modeling and computational simulations, it was possible to precisely select the functional components and design modular, flexible and easily reprogrammable architecture. By modifying specific protein sequences, the same biosensor can be adapted to recognize other viruses or molecules of clinical and diagnostic interest, opening the way to the development of new diagnostic tools characterized by speed, precision and customiziability“.
To protect the originality and potential applications of this innovative technology, A patent application for national industrial invention has been filed entitled entitled: “Development of a FRET sensor for the detection of the Coronavirus” (Rif. 102022000025416) in data 13/12/2022.
The research was made Possible thanks to the financing provided by Spark Global through the Proof-Of-Concept Spark Pisa 2020-2022 project“Fret sensor for the Assessment of Coronavirus Titre (FACT)” (EDP), e by the Prin2020 project “Early Phase Preclinical Development of PACECOR, a Mutation-Independent Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Therapeutic Strategy” (GB).