Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and noroviruses in cold-chain food samples using aptamer-functionalized graphene field-effect transistors†

Given the susceptibility of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and Norovirus (NoV) to survive in cold chain food, thereby posing significant public health risks, we present a novel approach for biosensor development utilizing a graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) modified with nucleic acid aptamers. The biosensor's innovative design incorporates 1-pyrenebutyric acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (PBASE) as a coupling agent to facilitate the attachment of nucleic acid aptamers onto channel graphene. This modification induces a redistribution of charge on the graphene surface, resulting in a shift of the Dirac point upon target capture by the nucleic acid aptamer. Through this pioneering methodology, we successfully engineered SARS-CoV-2 GFET and NoV GFET biosensors capable of detecting trace amounts of SARS-CoV-2 and norovirus within a rapid 5-minute timeframe, showcasing detection limits of 33 fg mL⁻¹ and 6.17 pg mL⁻¹, respectively. Subsequently, we applied these sensors to detect SARS-CoV-2 in frozen meat and norovirus in shellfish, yielding promising results with excellent specificity and stability. This groundbreaking sensing mechanism holds significant promise for the detection of foodborne viruses across a diverse range of food samples.