Label-free peptide nucleic acid biosensor for visual detection of multiple strains of influenza A virus suitable for field applications

Accurate and rapid diagnosis of Influenza A viruses (IAVs) is challenging because of multiple strains circulating in humans and animal populations, and the emergence of new strains. In this study, we demonstrate a simple and rapid strategy for visual detection of multiple strains of IAVs (H1 to H16 subtypes) using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) as a biosensor and unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a reporter. The design principle of the assay is based on the color change on account of free PNA-induced aggregation of AuNPs in the presence of non-complementary viral RNA sequence and vice-versa. The assay could detect IAV RNA with a visual limit of detection of 2.3 ng. The quantification of RNA with a considerable accuracy on a simple spectrophotometer was achieved on plotting the PNA-induced colorimetric changes (absorption ratio of A640/A520) in the presence of a varying concentration of complementary RNA. As a proof-of-concept, the visual assay was validated on 419 avian clinical samples and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed a high diagnostic specificity (96.46%, 95% CI = 93.8 to 98.2) and sensitivity (82.41%, 95% CI = 73.9 to 89.1) when RT-qPCR was used as reference test. Hence, the simplicity, rapidity, and universality of this strategy make it a potential candidate visual assay for clinical diagnosis and surveillance of IAVs, especially in the resource-limited settings. The proposed strategy establishes new avenues for developing a simple and rapid diagnostic system for viral infections and biomolecules. [Display omitted] •A rapid and label-free visual assay for multiple strains of Influenza A Virus.•The method provides accurate quantification of viral RNA on a spectrophotometer.•The assay shows high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity on clinical samples.•Offers new prospects for rapid point-of-care diagnostics against many pathogens.