Nano- and biosensors for the detection of SARS-CoV-2: challenges and opportunities

Nanotechnology and biotechnology are currently focused on pathogenic viruses, and are ready to detect viral infections. Indeed, innovative nano-based structures and nanobiotechnology, during the pandemics, can be employed for rapid, sensitive and reliable detection of pathogenic viruses to control and prevent/reduce their spread, importantly in the case of COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, the current employed detection technique for COVID-19 is quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), but it is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and may not be promptly used in remote or resource-limited settings. This may lead to obstacles in obtaining actual data on the infectivity and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Accordingly, nano- and biosensors should have enough sensitivity, selectivity, user-friendliness, scalability, authenticity, portability, specificity and rapid/robust properties, with potentials for high-qualified and reliable screening and great sensitivity with minimal false positive/negative responses. This paper summarizes important nano- and biosensor-based diagnostics introduced over the conventional methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, current important challenges and future perspectives of developing these innovative sensors for detection of SARS-CoV-2 are discussed.