{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T21:19:22Z","timestamp":1778879962868,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,1]],"date-time":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1614556800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The rapid spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogen has generated a huge international public health emergency. Currently the reference diagnostic technique for virus determination is Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) real time analysis that requires specialized equipment, reagents and facilities and typically 3\u20134 h to perform. Thus, the realization of simple, low-cost, small-size, rapid and point-of-care diagnostics tests has become a global priority. In response to the current need for quick, highly sensitive and on-site detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in several aqueous solutions, a specific molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) receptor has been designed, realized, and combined with an optical sensor. More specifically, the proof of concept of a SARS-CoV-2 sensor has been demonstrated by exploiting a plasmonic plastic optical fiber sensor coupled with a novel kind of synthetic MIP nano-layer, especially designed for the specific recognition of Subunit 1 of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. First, we have tested the effectiveness of the developed MIP receptor to bind the Subunit 1 of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, then the results of preliminary tests on SARS-CoV-2 virions, performed on samples of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs in universal transport medium (UTM) and physiological solution (0.9% NaCl), were compared with those obtained with RT-PCR. According to these preliminary results, the sensitivity of the proposed optical-chemical sensor proved to be higher than the RT-PCR one. Furthermore, a relatively fast response time (about 10 min) to the virus was obtained without the use of additional reagents.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s21051681","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,1]],"date-time":"2021-03-01T10:25:18Z","timestamp":1614594318000},"page":"1681","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":104,"title":["Proof of Concept for a Quick and Highly Sensitive On-Site Detection of SARS-CoV-2 by Plasmonic Optical Fibers and Molecularly Imprinted Polymers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7769-0984","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nunzio","family":"Cennamo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Engineering, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Girolamo","family":"D\u2019Agostino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Moresense Srl, Filarete Foundation, Viale Ortles 22\/4, 20139 Milano, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Perri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Engineering, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7863-743X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Arcadio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Engineering, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Guido","family":"Chiaretti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Moresense Srl, Filarete Foundation, Viale Ortles 22\/4, 20139 Milano, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eva Maria","family":"Parisio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Operative Unit of Chemical-Clinical and Microbiological Analysis, San Luca Hospital, Usl Toscana Nord Ovest, 55100 Lucca, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giulio","family":"Camarlinghi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Operative Unit of Chemical-Clinical and Microbiological Analysis, San Luca Hospital, Usl Toscana Nord Ovest, 55100 Lucca, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Vettori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Operative Unit of Chemical-Clinical and Microbiological Analysis, San Luca Hospital, Usl Toscana Nord Ovest, 55100 Lucca, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6435-5693","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Di Marzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Chirurgia Generale, Ospedale Valtiberina, Usl Toscana Sud-Est, 52037 Sansepolcro, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rosario","family":"Cennamo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Chirurgia Generale, Ospedale Valtiberina, Usl Toscana Sud-Est, 52037 Sansepolcro, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Porto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Moresense Srl, Filarete Foundation, Viale Ortles 22\/4, 20139 Milano, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luigi","family":"Zeni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Engineering, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"11","article-title":"The origin, transmission and clinical therapies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak\u2014An update on the status","volume":"7","author":"Guo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mil. 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