Multichannel microfluidic virus sensor for rapid detection of respiratory viruses using virus-imprinted polymer for digital livestock farming

This paper reports a multichannel microfluidic sensor for detecting H1N1 swine influenza A virus (IAV). This device integrates six independent sensing elements, measurement chambers, and passive mixers on a microfluidic platform to enable parallel processing and analysis of multiple samples. The sensing element uses a conducting virus-imprinted polymer (VIP) to recognize, immobilize, and qualify the target H1N1 virus. The VIP is formed via electropolymerization of 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole monomers and template H1N1 virus particles and subsequent removal of the template particles. The formed cavities are complementary to H1N1 virus in shape and size. High selectivity, conductance, and charge transfer characteristics make the VIP suitable for electrochemical detection of H1N1 virus. The sensor demonstrates a linear response to the logarithmic concentration of H1N1 virus in a concentration range of up to 5 × 106 TCID50/mL with a limit of detection of 9 TCID50/mL. The sensor exhibits high selectivity to H1N1 virus in the presence of several non-specific swine pathogens. Further, the sensor can be regenerated and reused by simply washing the sensing surface with acetic acid. The device demonstrates parallel detection of H1N1 virus in nasal swabs, oral fluids, and lung homogenates sampled from swine with low consumption of reagents and samples. Data will be made available on request