Rapid detection of viruses using electrical biochips and anti‐virion sera

• Published in: Letters in applied microbiology Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 479 - 485
• Main Authors: Łoś, M., Łoś, J.M., Blohm, L., Spillner, E., Grunwald, T., Albers, J., Hintsche, R., Węgrzyn, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.06.2005; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: antibodies; Antibodies, Viral; Antigens, Viral - analysis; bacteriophage contamination of bacterial cultures; Bacteriophage lambda; Bacteriophage M13; bacteriophage‐encoded bacterial toxins; biochips; Biological and medical sciences; Capsid Proteins - analysis; Capsid Proteins - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; phage lambda; phage M13; Protein Array Analysis - methods; quantitative detection of viruses; Sensitivity and Specificity; Virology - methods; Viruses - isolation & purification; Antibody; Applied microbiology; bacteriophage contamination of bacterial cultures; Siphoviridae; System on a chip; Phage M13; Contamination; Virus; Toxin; quantitative detection of viruses; Rapid technique; Analysis method; bacteriophage-encoded bacterial toxins; Virion; Biochips; Microorganism culture; Bacteria; Serum; antibodies; Phage lambda; Detection; Phage; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0266-8254; 1472-765X; 1365-2673
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-765X.2005.01706.x

Aims:  Rapid detection and quantification of viruses is crucial in clinical practice, veterinary medicine, agriculture, basic research as well as in biotechnological factories. However, although various techniques were described and are currently used, development of more rapid, more sensitive and quantitative methods seems to be still important. Methods and Results:  Here we describe a method for rapid detection of viruses (using bacteriophages as model viruses), based on electrical biochip array technology with the use of antibodies against capsid proteins. Conclusions:  Using the procedure developed in this work, we were able to detect 2 × 104 virions on the chip. The whole assay procedure takes c. 50 min and the assay is quantitative. Significance and Impact of the Study:  This procedure may be useful in various approaches, including detection of bacteriophage contamination in bioreactors and possibly detection of toxin gene‐bearing phages or other viruses in food samples.