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Toscana Virus, from Vanvitelli comes an innovative biosensor that
enables diagnosis in ten minutes and is a thousand times more
sensitive than molecular swabs. This discovery could open new p…
Toscana Virus, from Vanvitelli comes an innovative biosensor that enables diagnosis in ten minutes and is a thousand times more sensitive than molecular swabs. This discovery could open new perspectives in rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases. Credit goes to an interdisciplinary research group that has developed an optical fiber biosensor capable of detecting Toscana Virus in about ten minutes, with performance that could represent a major step forward in point-of-care diagnostics, meaning it can be performed directly near the patient. The Toscana virus is the one that recently halted Tommaso Paradiso’s tour. Professor Nunzio Cennamo, Professor of Electronics and Photonics at the Department of Engineering at Vanvitelli, explains the significance of the result: “After long months of work, thanks to an interdisciplinary research group, we managed to develop an optical fiber biosensor for Toscana Virus. The sensor, in about 10 minutes, can detect and quantitatively measure the presence of the virus, with a sensitivity a thousand times higher than that of the molecular swab and with very high selectivity, without false positives, using a portable device just a few centimeters long.” Toscana virus, symptoms, modes of transmission and health risks: singer Tommaso Paradiso affected. Context Although the Toscana Virus is known to the scientific community, it continues to be considered an underdiagnosed pathogen. It is transmitted by sandflies, small insects found mainly in Mediterranean areas during the warm season. As the professor points out, the consequences of infection should not be underestimated: “This is a result of great interest because Toscana Virus can in some cases cause meningitis and meningoencephalitis. Despite its potential danger, it is still a little-studied virus and its infection is not always diagnosed promptly.” The difficulty in quickly identifying the virus is one of the main clinical challenges. For this reason, being able to rely on a small, rapid, and highly sensitive tool could make a difference in patient management. “Our biosensor could therefore provide valid support for the need for faster diagnoses and help promptly identify the infection.” Toscana virus, Matteo Bassetti: “There is neither a vaccine nor therapies, here’s what to watch out for.” Collaboration This result is also due to the work of a young researcher. “The research project on Toscana Virus is part of the doctoral thesis work of Federica Passeggio, who has already developed other optical biosensors for pathogens, both viruses and bacteria.” The research was made possible thanks to the collaboration between several European scientific groups. “In particular, the biosensor for Toscana Virus was created thanks to an international research group that made it possible to combine the optical fiber sensors developed by the Department of Engineering at Vanvitelli with bioreceptors capable of recognizing Toscana Virus, produced by colleagues from German and French universities.” The optical sensors created at Vanvitelli constitute the technological “heart” of the device, while the bioreceptors developed by European partners enable selective recognition of the virus. The integration of these skills led to an innovative and easily portable diagnostic system designed for Point-of-Care Test applications. It was a collaborative effort between universities and research centers. The next phase, that of characterization and validation of the biosensor, required the involvement of numerous scientific skills. “The long and complex phase of characterization of the developed optical biosensor was conducted in collaboration with several research groups from Vanvitelli, Federico II, and the University of Siena, involving expert colleagues such as Professors Giuseppe Portella and Massimiliano Galdiero.” This result demonstrates how today’s most advanced research is born from collaboration between different disciplines, from engineering to photonics, to microbiology and medicine. The importance of the study has also been recognized at the international scientific level. “The scientific results of this sensor for Point-of-Care Test, to our great satisfaction, were published in June in the journal ‘Analytical Chemistry’ of the American Chemical Society.” Publication in one of the most authoritative journals in the field represents a certification of the scientific value of the work carried out and confirms the increasingly important role of Italian research in the field of advanced diagnostic technologies. In an era where rapid diagnosis has become one of the most effective tools for tackling infectious diseases, the biosensor developed by Vanvitelli University shows how the meeting of engineering, photonics, and biomedicine can become a concrete opportunity for public health. And, in the case of Toscana Virus, it could help fill an important gap in the ability to promptly recognize and monitor an infection that is still too little known.
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