Revolutionizing COVID-19 Detection

Novel testing method produced by KAUST researchers could revolutionize the way we test for the virus

As of mid-May 2021, COVID-19 had infected over 160 million people and caused more than 3.3 million deaths worldwide. While vaccine programs in Western Europe, North America and elsewhere are rapidly bringing down infection numbers, countries like India and Brazil continue to set records for new daily cases. The world’s ability to combat the spread of the virus is still limited by the speed at which cases can be detected, monitored and treated. A great deal of work has already gone into improving and increasing testing capabilities.

The two primary testing methods – reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests and lateral flow immunoassays (commonly known as rapid test devices) – have their respective drawbacks. RT-PCR tests require complex sample processing in labs that can take up to two days to complete, while rapid tests have been shown to have false-negative rates as high as 50%. Researchers at KAUST, working in collaboration with a consortium of Saudi and international institutions, believe they have developed a more effective testing platform.

When KAUST launched its Rapid Research Response Team in the early days of the pandemic, Professor of Bioscience Stefan Arold and Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Sahika Inal saw an opportunity to join forces. They wanted to develop a testing platform that could detect infections rapidly at the point of care (POC), without sacrificing the accuracy of the results. Using their protein chemistry knowledge and electronic device engineering skills, the researchers focused on SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. Together with researchers from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh, KAUST Solar Center, Oxford University and other institutions, Professors Arold and Inal developed a bioelectronic sensor platform that can detect virus spike proteins at the single-molecule level. The device, which is simple and robust enough for widespread POC or bedside application, combines or-

KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL

“We believe that this technology is very promising, with a wide range of applications in the health sector. It has huge potential in many medical fields, including in transplantation to detect graft rejections; in infectious diseases to identify specific pathogens; and in blood bank and transfusion medicine to detect new possible blood groups. It is great that we can collaborate with KAUST on this.”

Dr. Ashraf Dada, Medical Director at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center

ganic electrochemical transistor (OECT) technology with a protein recognition layer. OECTs transduce and amplify biomolecular interactions directly into electrical readouts. The sensor can rapidly detect specific biomolecules such as viral proteins or RNA with ultra-high sensitivity in as little as 15 minutes.

In addition to producing results quickly, the researchers believe their sensor has advantages over existing testing methods. For one, the sensor does not require sample preparation; unprocessed saliva or nasopharyngeal swab samples can be directly used in an uncontrolled, ambient environment. This means that samples do not need to be processed in a lab. The cost of producing the sensor is also much lower, and it is both easy to manufacture and mostly reusable. Importantly, the device can be easily reprogrammed to detect any protein for which nanobodies exist, thereby allowing a rapid repurposing of the device towards a different target.

The device has already been tested on samples of SARSCoV-2 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and demonstrated a sensitivity comparable to RT-PCR methods. The researchers’ findings are due to be published in the prestigious Nature Biomedical Engineering journal. The KAUST team believes that their sensor technology has the potential to surpass a range of diagnostic methods. Backed by grants from KAUST’s Office of Sponsored Research, the work provided a timely reminder of the current gaps in our POC diagnostics toolbox. It has also established a way forward, while showcasing KAUST and Saudi Arabia’s potential to produce game-changing solutions to aid the fight against COVID-19. The next phase is to commercialize the device, and the researchers are working towards a prototype that can be used by Saudi clinicians and will seek approval from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority.

SAHIKA INAL Assistant Professor of Bioengineering

STEFAN AROLD Professor of Bioscience

OUR WORK PAVES THE WAY FOR BIOCHEMICAL SENSING TO COMPLEMENT OR REPLACE A WIDE RANGE OF CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC ASSAYS.