Progress in the use of an electro-optical sensor for virus detection

This paper describes, for the first time, the real-time virus detection with an electro-optical (EO) sensor, using transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) as an example. The possibility of detecting an intact but inactivated TGEV by using specific antibodies is shown. The antibody-aided detection of the TGEV is possible in the presence of extraneous virus particles. The changes in the frequency dependence of the EO signal of virus suspensions before and after the addition of specific antibodies is an optimally informative parameter. The limit for reliable virus detection is 104 virus particles ml−1, and the time of analysis is 10–15 min. The EO sensor is promising for the recording of virus-antibody interactions and for rapid virus detection. •For the first time EO sensor was used for virus detection in liquid with analysis time 10-15 min.•Virus detection is based on recording the changes in EO signal before and after their interaction with specific antibodies.•The detection limit is 104 viral particles ml−1 even in the presence of other viral particles.