One-Step Homogeneous Immunoassay for the Detection of Influenza Virus Using Switching Peptide and Graphene Quencher

One-step homogeneous immunoassay was developed for detecting influenza viruses A and B (Inf-A and Inf-B) using the switching peptide H2. As the fluorescence-labeled switching peptide dissociated from the binding pocket of detection antibodies, the fluorescence signal could be directly generated by the binding of Inf-A and Inf-B without washing (i.e., one-step immunoassay). For the one-step homogeneous immunoassay with detection antibodies in solution, graphene was labeled with the antibodies as a fluorescence quencher. To test the feasibility of the homogeneous one-step immunoassay, the stability of the antibody complex with the switching peptide was evaluated under different pH and salt conditions. The one-step homogeneous immunoassay with switching peptide was conducted using influenza virus antigens in phosphate-buffered saline and real samples with inactivated Inf-A and Inf-B spiked in serum. Finally, the one-step homogeneous immunoassay results were compared with those of commercially available lateral flow immunoassays.

Automated summary

A one-step homogeneous immunoassay using the switching peptide H2 was developed for rapid detection of influenza viruses A and B. This method eliminates the need for washing steps and can be conducted in solution, with graphene used as a fluorescence quencher to enhance sensitivity.