Abstract Emerging zoonotic pathogens represent an escalating threat to global health, underscoring the need for rapid and effective testing strategies. Electrochemical biosensors offer a promising solution for point-of-care testing, enabling sensitive and real-time detection of these pathogens. A major challenge in biosensor technology is biofouling, caused by nonspecific adsorption in complex matrices, which compromises sensor reliability. This study reports a biofouling-resistant electrochemical capacitive biosensor (ECB) capable of rapid (<5 min) detection of zoonotic influenza, specifically avian influenza H5N1 and H1N1 viruses, with detection limits below 50 viral RNA copies/mL. The ECB maintains sensitivity for virus detection and demonstrates excellent signal stability (±3% signal drift) when tested under extreme fouling-prone media. This novel characteristic of the biosensor is achieved by functionalizing its working electrode with a hybrid composite of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and reduced graphene oxide. This capacitive interface supports stable strain-specific aptamer immobilization, providing a robust platform for POCT diagnostics of zoonotic pathogens in real-world settings.
Ghumra et al. (Mon,) studied this question.