posted on 2024-03-07, 19:05authored byWei Wang, Sonali Srivastava, Aditya Garg, Chuan Xiao, Seth Hawks, Jin Pan, Nisha Duggal, Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz, Wei Zhou, Linsey C. Marr, Peter J. Vikesland
This study introduces
a novel surface-enhanced Raman
spectroscopy
(SERS)-based lateral flow test (LFT) dipstick that integrates digital
analysis for highly sensitive and rapid viral quantification. The
SERS–LFT dipsticks, incorporating gold–silver core–shell
nanoparticle probes, enable pixel-based digital analysis of large-area
SERS scans. Such an approach enables ultralow-level detection of viruses
that readily distinguishes positive signals from background noise
at the pixel level. The developed digital SERS–LFTs demonstrate
limits of detection (LODs) of 180 fg for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein,
120 fg for nucleocapsid protein, and 7 plaque forming units for intact
virus, all within <30 min. Importantly, digital SERS–LFT
methods maintain their robustness and their LODs in the presence of
indoor dust, thus underscoring their potential for accurate and reliable
virus diagnosis and quantification in real-world environmental settings.