Ultra-Sensitive Aptamer-Based Diagnostic Systems for Rapid Detection of All SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The emergence of numerous SARS-CoV-2 variants, characterized by mutations in the viral RNA genome and target proteins, has presented challenges for accurate COVID-19 diagnosis. To address this, we developed universal aptamer probes capable of binding to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including highly mutated strains like Omicron. These aptamers were identified through protein-based SELEX using spike proteins from three key variants (D614G-substituted Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta, and Omicron) and virus-based SELEX, known as viro-SELEX. Leveraging these universal aptamers, we created a highly sensitive lateral flow assay (LFA) and an ultra-sensitive molecular diagnostic platform that integrates a novel rapid PCR technique, enabling fast and reliable detection across all SARS-CoV-2 variants.