A new method for influenza virus detection based on gold nanorods

Influenza viruses are RNA viruses that cause respiratory illnesses, including influenza and pneumonia. Influenza viruses are highly mutable, with new pandemic strains emerging each year. Therefore, rapid and accurate detection of influenza viruses is essential for effective pandemic control.

Fluorescence-based lateral chromatographic immunoassay (LFI) is a rapid and simple method for virus detection. The method works by mixing an antibody-containing reagent with a virus-containing sample to produce an immune response on a membrane. If the sample contains a virus, a fluorescent band appears on the membrane.

However, the traditional LFI method is less sensitive and susceptible to interference. For example, when the viral load is low or other interfering substances are present in the sample, the virus may not be detected.

Recently, a group of researchers led by Professor Min-Gon Kim of the Department of Chemistry at Gwangju University of Science and Technology developed a novel LFI method based on gold nanorods (GNR). The method utilizes metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) technology to improve detection sensitivity and specificity.

MEF technology is a technique that utilizes metal nanoparticles to enhance the fluorescence signal. The metal nanoparticles can form a plasma resonance with fluorophores, resulting in intense fluorescence.

The researchers combined Cy5-mSiO2@GNR nanoprobes with the LFI platform for the detection of influenza A virus (IAV).The Cy5-mSiO2@GNR nanoprobes consisted of a GNR core, a mesoporous silica shell, and the fluorescent molecule Cy5.

The results showed that the method could detect 1.85 pfu/mL of IAV in 120 min with more than 99% specificity for IAV.

This research result provides a new method for rapid and accurate detection of influenza virus. The method has the following advantages:

High sensitivity, can detect low concentration of virus.
High specificity, not easy to be interfered.
Simple operation, easy to promote the application.
The research results are expected to provide a new solution for the early detection and screening of influenza virus.