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Vědět a znát, to mnohý by chtěl, ale učit se nechce.

Walther Von Der Vegelweide

mendel

Výzkum

Magnetic core functionalized with tetraethyl orthosilicate and 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane for an isolation of H7N7 influenza serotype virions

Influenza virus belongs to the most dangerous infectious agents killed more people in the 20th century than any other virus [1]. In 1918, an influenza A pandemic, notorious known as the “Spanish Flu”, caused 50 million deaths worldwide [2] and it is recorded as one of the most devastating epidemics in history. Despite years of research of influenza, this highly contagious disease still continues to kill millions of people of all ages every year. Hence the development of strategies, which can be used to prevent the future expansions of this virus, is an important endeavour.

A variety of technologies for influenza diagnostics has been developed, including in vitro virus isolation by culture [3], serologic assays [4], enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) [5], or polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays [6]. However, there still exist disadvantages making these methods complicated for practical applications. In vitro cultivation is tedious and time consuming usually lasting 5–7 days [7,8]. PCR is very sensitive to target molecule, but also to undesired, external contamination of the template nucleic acid, and thus may provide false positive results. Serological methods require seroconversion and therefore are not able to detect acute infections [9]. Moreover, there are many issues with virus isolation, requiring trained laboratory workers and a highly sterile environment. Possibility of rapid, cheap, screening, and diagnostic method may be offered by sensor constructed as a part of the measuring device that converts the input signal to the quantity suitable for the interpretation. The most common sensors utilized for influenza detection are based on various types of electrochemical sensing [10,11]. Because of the fact that sensors may serve as the easy-to-use, simple and sensitive diagnostic tools [12], paramagnetic particles (PMPs) may enhance the mentioned properties of a sensor device. Their advantageous characteristics as small size and high surface area enhance kinetics and provide possibility of manipulation under the influence of an external magnetic field [13,14]. Moreover, due to a possibility of surface functionalization with various chemically-active groups, the isolation process can be performed directly in samples eliminating the sample pre-treatment steps as centrifugation or filtration [15]. In these perspectives, we aimed to suggest and synthesize paramagnetic particles composed of nanomaghemite core with surface modified with various chemical substances. Herein we report that composites prepared by us are able to bind H7N7 influenza serotype virions, and thus they may enhance the simplification, selectivity and sensitivity of an influenza sensor as well as to improve the basic laboratory diagnostic as a preconcentration tool.

Práce je spojená s projektem NanoBioMetalNet CZ.1.07/2.4.00/31.0023

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