Development of DNA Aptamers Against Structural Proteins of SARS-CoV-2

The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a positive-sense single strand (ss) RNA virus responsible for causing the COVID-19 disease. With the continuous incidence of infections by SARS-CoV-2 and the appearance of strains that may evade existing vaccines and treatments, it is imperative to implement strategies that allow an effective and rapid diagnosis of this disease. Due to their high-abundance in viral particles, structural proteins (i.e., nucleocapsid (N) and spike glycoprotein (S)) are logical targets for diagnostic tests. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides, ~100 bases long, that interact with high-affinity binding and specificity with a wide variety of molecules including proteins. Aptamers can be generated through an in vitro selection process known as Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). This research aims to use SELEX process to select DNA-aptamers targeting structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2. The developed aptamers resulting from this work will be incorporated on a sensitive and cost-effective rapid antigen test to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2. © FASEB.