Cantilever sensors based on sialylglycopolymer virus receptor with different readout systems

We have described rapid, label free detection of Influenza A viruses with cantilever transducer modified with synthetic sialylglycopolymer as a receptor layer. Surface stress induced by binding of viruses to receptor layer was investigated as analytical signal. Synthetic sialylglycopolymer receptor layer can be implemented in nanoscale strain-gauge cantilever transducers for high sensitive viruse detection. Strain-gage transducers with such sensor layer demonstrate long lifetime, high sensitivity and regeneration possibility. Nanomechanical cantilever system with optical detector was used for surface stress measurements. We have shown that positive label free detection of Influenza A could be achieved at a concentration less than 106 viruses in ml, which is comparable to the detection sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, in contrast to PCR, cantilever sensor detection was label free, in situ, and rapid (less than 30 min), potentially requiring minimal or no sample preparation.