Gold-Peptide Nanoparticles for Viral Diagnosis
The detection of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A is a challenge that requires simple and fast diagnostic platforms. To address this issue, we have synthesized a gold-binding peptide that exhibits an antigen affinity for the helix-loop-helix structure of virus nucleic acids [1, 2]. This peptide has been used to form a gold-peptide nanoparticle (GPNP) composite as a promising platform for viral diagnosis. To investigate peptide-gold interactions, we employed a photochemical strategy where the peptide functions as an in situ reducing, capping, and stabilizing agent without the addition of toxic reducing agents. Upon UV exposure, the aromatic residue on the