The number of infections and deaths from COVID-19 is increasing in Lithuania, as it is worldwide. The spread of asymptomatic virus is one of the biggest challenges in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. It is virtually impossible to detect such cases without continuous widespread community testing. It is therefore important to develop simple, non-invasive tools and methods that allow anyone to be tested without special training. Nanomaterial-based biosensors that can be used to detect the virus directly from the patient’s exhaled air are increasingly being used. Magnetic biosensors are one such type, which are characterised by a rapid test response. The working principle of such sensors is based on the measurement of a magnetic field created by magnetic nanoparticles. In this case, the magnetic nanoparticle is functionalised with antibodies or DNA/RNA tags that specifically recognise the target (virus) analyte molecules, while the surface of the biosensor is immobilised with antibodies that recognise the virus and trap it together with the nanoparticle.
Project funding:
This research project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund according to the 2014–2020 Operational Programme for the European Union Funds’ Investments, under measure’s No. 13.1.1-LMT-K-718 activity “Research Projects Implemented by World-class Researcher Groups to develop R&D activities relevant to economic sectors, which could later be commercialized”. Funded as part of the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Period of project implementation: 2021-11-04 - 2023-08-31
Project coordinator: Valstybinis mokslinių tyrimų institutas Fizinių ir technologijos mokslų centras
Project partners: Kaunas University of Technology
