Influenza Virus Precision Diagnosis and Continuous Purification Enabled by Neuraminidase-Resistant Glycopolymer-Coated Microbeads

Abstract

Rapid diagnosis and vaccine development are critical to prevent the threat posed by viruses. However, rapid tests, such as colloidal gold assays, yield false-negative results due to the low quantities of viruses; moreover, conventional virus purification, including ultracentrifugation and nanofiltration, is multistep and time-consuming, which limits laboratory research and commercial development of viral vaccines. A rapid virus enrichment and purification technique will improve clinical diagnosis sensitivity and simplify vaccine production. Hence, we developed the surface-glycosylated microbeads (glycobeads) featuring chemically synthetic glycoclusters and reversible linkers to selectively capture the influenza virus. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) evaluation indicated broad spectrum affinity of <i>S</i>-linked glycosides to various influenza viruses. The magnetic glycobeads were integrated into clinical rapid diagnosis, leading to a 30-fold lower limit of detection. Additionally, the captured viruses can be released under physiological conditions, delivering purified viruses with >50% recovery and without decreasing their native infectivity. Notably, this glycobead platform will facilitate the sensitive detection and continuous one-step purification of the target virus that contributes to future vaccine production.