System, apparatus, and method for viral monitoring in effluent

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for viral monitoring in effluent, comprising a biosensor including a graphene-based field-effect transistor having capture proteins conjugated thereto, the capture proteins being configured to bind a virus, and a fluidic channel arranged above the graphene-based field-effect transistor so that fluid of the effluent flows over the graphene-based field-effect transistor, and processing circuitry configured to apply a gate voltage to the graphene-based field-effect transistor, measure a conductance across the graphene-based field-effect transistor, the conductance reflecting an amount of the virus bound to the capture proteins, compare the measured conductance to a threshold conductance, and transmit, to a computing device and when the comparison indicates the measured conductance satisfies the threshold conductance, information indicating a presence of the virus in the effluent. In certain embodiments, the capture proteins may be SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies.

1 . A system for viral monitoring in effluent, comprising:
 a biosensor including
 at least one field-effect transistor along a length of an apparatus, the at least one field-effect transistor having one or more capture proteins conjugated thereto, the one or more capture proteins being configured to bind a virus in the effluent, and 
 a fluidic channel arranged above the at least one field-effect transistor and along the length of the apparatus such that fluid of the effluent flows over the at least one field-effect transistor via the fluidic channel, and 
   processing circuitry configured to
 apply a gate voltage to each of the at least one field-effect transistor, 
 measure a conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor, a change in the conductance being based on an amount of the virus bound to the one or more capture proteins, 
 compare the measured conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor to a threshold conductance, and 
 transmit, to a computing device and when the comparison indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance, information indicating a presence of the virus in the effluent. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one field-effect transistor is a graphene-based field-effect transistor. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more capture proteins are SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one field-effect transistor is liquid-gated by the effluent flowing over the at least one field-effect transistor. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to
 reverse a polarity of the applied gate voltage in order to reduce the amount of the virus bound to the one or more capture proteins when the comparison indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance, and   maintain the reversed polarity of the applied gate voltage until the measured conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor does not satisfy the threshold conductance.   
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir containing a buffer solution, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to
 provide, via a pump, the buffer solution to the fluidic channel when the comparison indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance, the provided buffer solution flowing over the at least one field-effect transistor in order to reduce the amount of the virus bound to the one or more capture proteins, the provided buffer solution being provided to the fluidic channel until the measured conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor does not satisfy the threshold conductance.   
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
 transmit the information indicating the presence of the virus in the effluent to the computing device by wireless communication.   
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the virus is bound to the one or more capture proteins via an inactivated component of the virus. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for viral monitoring in effluent, comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to
 apply a gate voltage to each of at least one field-effect transistor disposed along a length of an apparatus, the at least one field-effect transistor having one or more capture proteins conjugated thereto, the one or more capture proteins being configured to bind a virus in the effluent, 
 measure a conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor, a change in the conductance being based on an amount of the virus bound to the one or more capture proteins, 
 compare the measured conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor to a threshold conductance, and 
 transmit, to a computing device and when the comparison indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance, information indicating a presence of the virus in the effluent, 
 wherein the gate voltage is applied to a fluidic channel arranged above the at least one field-effect transistor and along the length of the apparatus such that fluid of the effluent flows over the at least one field-effect transistor via the fluidic channel. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one field-effect transistor is a graphene-based field-effect transistor. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the one or more capture proteins are SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to
 reverse a polarity of the applied gate voltage in order to reduce the amount of the virus bound to the one or more capture proteins when the comparison indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance, and   maintain the reversed polarity of the applied gate voltage until the measured conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor does not satisfy the threshold conductance.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to
 provide, via a pump, a buffer solution to the fluidic channel when the comparison indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance, the provided buffer solution flowing over the at least one field-effect transistor in order to reduce the amount of the virus bound to the one or more capture proteins, the provided buffer solution being provided to the fluidic channel until the measured conductance across each of the at least one field-effect transistor does not satisfy the threshold conductance.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
 transmit the information indicating the presence of the virus in the effluent to the computing device by wireless communication.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the virus is bound to the one or more capture proteins via an inactivated component of the virus. 
     
     
         16 . A method for viral monitoring in effluent, comprising:
 applying, by processing circuitry, a gate voltage to each of at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor disposed along a length of an apparatus, the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor having one or more capture proteins conjugated thereto, the one or more capture proteins being configured to bind a virus in the effluent;   measuring, by the processing circuitry, a conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor, a change in the conductance being based on an amount of the virus bound to the one or more capture proteins;   comparing, by the processing circuitry, the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor to a threshold conductance; and   transmitting, by the processing circuitry to a computing device, information indicating a presence of the virus in the effluent to a computing device when the comparing indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance,   wherein the one or more capture proteins are one or more SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the gate voltage is applied to a fluidic channel arranged above the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor, along the length of the apparatus, and fluid of the effluent flows over the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor via the fluidic channel. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising
 reversing, by the processing circuitry and when the comparing indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance, a polarity of the applied gate voltage in order to reduce the amount of the virus bound to the one or more SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies, and   maintaining, by the processing circuitry, the reversed polarity of the applied gate voltage until the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor does not satisfy the threshold conductance.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising
 providing, by processing circuitry and via a pump, a buffer solution to the fluidic channel when the comparing indicates the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor satisfies the threshold conductance, the provided buffer solution flowing over the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor in order to reduce the amount of the virus bound to the one or more SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies, the provided buffer solution being provided to the fluidic channel until the measured conductance across each of the at least one graphene-based field-effect transistor does not satisfy the threshold conductance.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising
 transmitting, by the processing circuitry, the information indicating the presence of the virus in the effluent to the computing device via wireless communication.