Wireless: The Next Frontier in Biosecurity and Biodefense?

Malika Vasilova, a student of biological sciences at Nazarbayev University’s School of Sciences and Humanities, and Daniel Tosi, associate professor at its School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, explain how they developed a device that detects when viruses leave the lab. are or not

Biological hazards, both naturally occurring and man-made, have been a constant concern of humanity for centuries. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for rapid and point-of-care devices that can identify the presence of pathogens in real time, which is important to the scientific and medical communities.

Accurate virus detection with a fast-reacting (within a few seconds) device is an important development, as such a device would be able to identify the presence of a target virus in a wide range of liquid media, such as household water. Waste water, or gray water.

Through the NATO SPS (Science for Peace and Security) project, our team has developed and tested a prototype device based on optical fiber sensors for the detection of poxvirus – called ViraleS.

Wireless is a new solution that provides a fast, accurate and specific method for the detection of pathogens in a variety of liquids. It is an antibody-based biosensing system on optic fiber that utilizes the principle of surface plasmon resonance. The system utilizes optic fibers by attaching monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies to their surface.

When viral antigens bind to these antibodies, they cause a change in the refractive index within the fiber – essentially changing how light is reflected in the fiber. This intervention is processed through hardware tools and interpreted by accompanying software, providing fast, accurate and specific results in a user-friendly format.

We make this interference meaningful and easily interpretable by limiting it to two phases. Antigen-specific antibodies attached to the surface of the fibers – now designated functional optic fibers – represent one state. The second situation appears when freely floating proteins of interest bind to fixed antibodies and change the reflection pattern of light within the fiber. As a result, some light is lost on its way, and the returned (reduced) intensity is recorded as an interaction, allowing us to draw conclusions about the presence of certain proteins in a sample.

Adding all that up, optic fibers themselves offer several benefits to their use:

• The remarkable sensitivity provided by optic fibers allows us to detect viral proteins at nanomolar or even picomolar concentrations, meaning that functionalized optic fibers can effectively detect the presence of viruses;
• Real life recognition and high recognition speed (a few seconds);
• Due to the low production cost for optic fibers, the proposed systems would be accessible and convenient for large-scale installation;
• The technology is open to multi-channel detection, which means that over time, we can increase the list of pathogens detectable by our system.

The primary area of ​​use for wireless is in biosecurity and biodefense, detecting pathogens in rivers, wastewater, laboratories, or military areas to prevent epidemics and for bioweapons use.

The device aims to provide an optimal platform for biosecurity that can rapidly detect a specific pathogen while integrating seamlessly with its environment. Applications include outbreak detection in urban environments through detection in wastewater, or detection in gray water in indoor locations, such as in an aircraft – following the approach proposed for advanced detection of the COVID-19 pathogen . We envision the technology being used in biosafety facilities, for example, to monitor virus leaks from research laboratories.

Unlike other existing detection methods, ViraleS has the unique ability to detect synthetic genetically modified pathogens. The technology can aid in the detection of specific pathogens in liquid media, in urban environments, or deployed in isolated communities, as well as in indoor scenarios. In its portable form, it can also be used by field epidemiologists for rapid testing and identification of viral pathogens in environmental samples.

The versatility and reach of wireless make it an important tool in the fight against emerging biological threats. The device is in the proof-of-concept stage and has verified its detection mechanism using optic fibres. There is still a way to go to optimize the system and create a minimum viable product (MVP) for industrial bioprocessing. In the future, Virales has the potential to be used in many other applications, including the surveillance of infectious disease outbreaks and the detection of bioterrorism threats. The technique can also be used to detect other important molecules – work is already being done to detect cancer etc.

represents the next frontier in wireless biosecurity and biodefense. With its technology and ability to detect a wide range of pathogens, WIRELESS could make a significant impact in the fight against emerging biological threats. The evolution of wireless is a positive step towards a safer future for all and a demonstration of our continued commitment to protecting humanity from the dangers of biological threats.

The project has already received a gold medal in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition in 2022 and has attracted interest from a range of stakeholders, from biotechnology companies to national security and defense experts.