Advanced Biosensing Methodologies for Ultrasensitive Detection of Human Coronaviruses

Rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases and up-to-the-minute commencement of relevant treatments are important factors that not only promote positive changes in the clinical scenario but also the health of the mass at large. Surpassing the time-consuming conventional, straightforward in vitro methods for diagnosing infectious diseases, biosensors have shown their tremendous potential in the recent era. Current developments concerning biosensing technologies bring point-of-care diagnostics to the forefront. This proves to be advantageous over conventional practices that demand centralized laboratory facilities, experienced personnel, and colossal machinery. Currently, the infectious pandemic caused by the spreading of the novel coronavirus has created an unprecedented adverse effect on both the global economy and health security. The current situation of growing cases of infection despite several measures and the unavailability of testing kits to diagnose every suspected case point toward the need of urgent upgradation of the conventional diagnostic approaches to advanced, robust, and cost-effective diagnosis. Increasing demand in viral vigilance and directive regulatory steps toward the disease transmission also reveals the need for rapid as well as sensitive devices for viral diagnosis. From the last several decades, biosensors for their noteworthy sensitivity and specificity have been considered as a promising and potent tool for precise and quantifiable detection of viruses. Current developments in genetic engineering inclusive the genetic manipulation and material engineering have introduced several approaches to enhance sensitivity, selectivity, and the overall recognition efficiency of biosensors. This chapter presents an overview of the biosensing methodologies, especially focusing on various labeled and label-free techniques that have been used in the past and are being reported in the recent era for diagnosis.