Work

Disposable Point of Care multiplexed plasmonic biosensor for rapid and specific identification of respiratory viruses

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The rapid spread of respiratory viruses and their similar symptomatology pose significant challenges for early diagnosis, transmission control, and effective clinical management. We introduce a multianalyte diagnostic platform based on plasmonics for the rapid identification, discrimination, and quantification of viral antigens for the most common respiratory viruses (SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A/B, and RSV) in nasopharyngeal swabs. The biosensor chips are functionalized with four specific antibodies targeting viral nucleoproteins and are integrated into a single-use microfluidic cartridge, reaching low detection limits (ng/mL level). A clinical validation with positive and negative samples (n = 46) demonstrates an excellent correlation with PCR-based molecular tests. Furthermore, the novel diagnostic platform exhibits high sensitivity (97.22%) and specificity (100%), overcoming limitations associated with rapid antigen tests. Together with its accuracy and user-friendly design, our multibiosensor is positioned as a disruptive diagnostic tool for rapid and multiplexed diagnosis of viral infections at the point-of-care.

Source: npj Biosensing

DOI: 10.1038/s44328-025-00071-w

Authors: Patricia Ramirez-Priego, Juliana F. Giarola, Cristina Andrés, Andrés Antón, M.-Carmen Estévez, Laura M. Lechuga