Rapid, mass diagnosis of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is critical to stop the ongoing infection spread. The two standard screening methods to confirm the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are polymerase chain reaction (PCR), through the RNA of the virus, and serology by detecting antibodies produced as a response to the viral infection. However, given the detection complexity, cost and relatively long analysis times of these techniques, novel technologies are urgently needed. Here, we report an aptamer-based biosensor developed on a screen-printed carbon electrode platform for rapid, sensitive, and user-friendly detection of SARS-CoV-2. The aptasensor relies on an aptamer targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the spike protein (S-protein) of the SARS-CoV-2. The aptamer immobilization on gold nanoparticles, and the presence of S-protein in the aptamer-target complex, investigated for the first time by photo-induced force microscopy mapping between 770 and 1910 cm⁻¹ of the electromagnetic spectrum, revealed abundant S-protein homogeneously distributed on the sensing probe. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 S-protein was achieved by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy after 40 min incubation with several analyte concentrations, yielding a limit of detection of 1.30 pM (66 pg/mL). Moreover, the aptasensor was successfully applied for the detection of a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, thus suggesting it is a promising tool for the diagnosis of COVID-19.

快速、大规模诊断 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 对于阻止持续的感染传播至关重要。确认严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 的两种标准筛查方法是聚合酶链反应 (PCR)，通过病毒的 RNA，以及通过检测对病毒感染产生的抗体进行血清学检测。然而，鉴于这些技术的检测复杂性、成本和相对较长的分析时间，迫切需要新技术。在这里，我们报告了一种在丝网印刷碳电极平台上开发的基于适体的生物传感器，用于快速、灵敏和用户友好地检测 SARS-CoV-2。适体传感器依赖于靶向 SARS-CoV-2 刺突蛋白（S 蛋白）中受体结合域（RBD）的适体。^-1的电磁波谱，显示丰富的 S 蛋白均匀分布在传感探针上。在与几种分析物浓度孵育 40 分钟后，通过电化学阻抗谱实现了 SARS-CoV-2 S 蛋白的检测，检测限为 1.30 pM（66 pg/mL）。此外，aptasensor 已成功应用于 SARS-CoV-2 假病毒的检测，因此表明它是一种很有前途的 COVID-19 诊断工具。