Metal-Organic Framework as a Fluorescent and Colorimetric Dual-Signal Readout Biosensor Platform for the Detection of a Genetic Sequence from the SARS-CoV-2 Genome

The quest for the development ofhigh-accuracy, point-of-care,and cost-effective testing platforms for SARS-CoV-2 infections isongoing as current diagnostics rely on either assays based on costlyyet accurate nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) or less selectiveand less sensitive but rapid and cost-effective antigen tests. Asa potential solution, this work presents a fluorescence-based detectionplatform using a metal-organic framework (MOF) in an effectiveassay, demonstrating the potential of MOFs to recognize specific targetsof the SARS-CoV-2 genome with high accuracy and rapid process turnaroundtime. As a highlight of this work, positive detection of SARS-CoV-2is indicated by a visible color change of the MOF probe with ultrahighdetection selectivities down to single-base mismatch nucleotide sequences,thereby providing an alternative avenue for the development of innovativedetection methods for diverse viral genomes.