Synthetic DNA Biosensors with Multivalent Aptamers for Multiple Viruses Diagnostics

Patent Status

Patent Pending

Brief Description

Viruses have caused substantial health problems in the world. In 2019, the ravage caused by SARS-CoV-2 highlights the global health danger of emergent pathogens again. Rapid diagnostics of viruses is essential for timely, frequently life-saving treatment.  Rapid diagnostics of viruses is essential for timely, and frequently life-saving, treatment. However, most diagnostic testing methods are only capable of detecting single species of virus. In addition, viruses can mutate rapidly, a process which can render single-target diagnostics ineffective.

UC Berkeley researchers have developed synthetic DNA arrays as a universal platform to bind viruses with multivalent aptamers which is more tolerant to mutations and capable of detecting multiple species of viruses simultaneously.

Suggested uses

• Diagnostic device for detecting multiple variants of viruses simultaneously

Advantages

• scalable manufacture
• cost efficiency
• portability
• reliability