In our latest ACS Sensors paper, we report on a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIPs)-based sensor platform for detection of COVID-19. Contrary to lateral flow tests that use antibodies for recognition, we use a synthetic (polymer-based) alternative. The advantage of the use of MIPs is that they are robust, versatile, low-cost, and are produced without the use of animals.
Within this paper, we demonstrate we have a 100-fold improvement in detection compared to commercial lateral flow tests. Moreover, the polymers are very stable in different environments (for instance in acidic media and at elevated temperatures) and therefore will be able to detect COVID-19 in a wide range of clinical samples. In this short (1 min) video, we compare the performance of our sensor to a commercial rapid antigen test for measuring Diet Coke (which can give a false positive result in lateral flow tests since the media is acidic, which interferes with antibody recognition).
The team working on the paper
Newcastle University: Dr Jake McClements, Dr Pankaj Singla, Dr Shayan Seyedin, Dr Brendan Payne, Dr Marloes Peeters
Université Libre de Bruxelles: Dr Laure Barr, Dr Patricia Losada-Perez
MIP Diagnostics: Dr Francesco Canfarotta, Dr Joanna Czulak, Dr Alan Thomson, Rhiannon Johnson
Manchester Metropolitan University: Dr Robert Crapnell, Prof Craig Banks
