New Low-Cost Transistor Quantifies SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies in Blood

A fast, effective, reliable, and low-cost new technology aims to quantify SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in the blood, but also test the efficacy of new vaccines against COVID-19.

The device was developed by a research team led by scientists from the University of Bologna (Bologna, Italy). It is an “organic electrochemical transistor” (OECT), based on a special conductive polymer (PEDOT:PSS), which allows to monitor the integrity of cell tissue remotely and in real-time, thus helping understand whether or not a coronavirus-infected in vitro culture is protected by the neutralizing antibodies found in the blood serum. This is the first time this type of assay has been used on SARS-CoV-2, and the same tool could in the future be adapted for other types of viruses.

Serum neutralization tests are now the best method to assess the presence and level of neutralizing antibodies in blood serum. One of the most widely used tools for this purpose is the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), which requires long response times, significant costs, specialized operators, and toxic materials. As an alternative to this model, the researchers have designed and implemented a new technology: an automated integrated system called TECH-OECT (Tissue Engineering Cell Holder for Organic Electrochemical Transistors). This technology uses electrical measurements to obtain an accurate real-time quantitative analysis of the neutralizing serum. The prototype allows up to six cell cultures to be analyzed simultaneously, giving reliable results in less than 48 hours. Moreover, the device is reusable up to three times, which reduces waste production, and does not require the use of toxic substances, thus ensuring the safety of operators.

"Today we have a strong need for tools that can quickly and effectively assess the presence of neutralizing antibodies in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 because this information is significant in clinical practice," explains Francesco Decataldo, a researcher at the Department of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi" of the University of Bologna. "Furthermore, it is vital to understand the relationship between the measured immunity and the clinical protection against coronavirus to plan the next steps in COVID-19 vaccine development."

"This is not only a low-cost device but also a scalable one, which could enable rapid large-scale screening of neutralizing antibody levels in the population," added Beatrice Fraboni, a professor at the University of Bologna. “This technology could easily be adapted to analyze the response of neutralizing antibodies to other types of viruses.”

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