https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-022-02470-8
Regular Article
3D simulation of microfluidic biosensor for SARS-CoV-2 S protein binding kinetics using new reaction surface design
1
Quantum and Statistical Physics Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences of Monastir, University of Monastir, Environment Boulevard, 5019, Monastir, Tunisia
2
Higher National Engineering School of Tunis, Taha Hussein Montfleury Boulevard, University of Tunis, 1008, Tunis, Tunisia
3
Laboratory of Electronics and Microelectronics, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Environment Boulevard, 5019, Monastir, Tunisia
4
Department of Physics, College of Science at Al Zulfi, Majmaah University, 11952, Al Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
a
kaziz_sameh@yahoo.fr
d
Ha.Belmabrouk@mu.edu.sa
Received:
6
November
2021
Accepted:
10
February
2022
Published online:
18
February
2022
In this study, we performed 3D finite element simulations on the binding reaction kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 S protein (target analyte) and its corresponding immobilized antibody (ligand) in a heterogeneous microfluidic immunoassay. Two types of biosensors with two different shapes and geometries of the reaction surface and electrodes were studied. Alternating current electrothermal (ACET) force was applied to improve the binding efficiency of the biomolecular pairs by accelerating the transport of analytes to the binding surface. The ACET force stirs the flow field, thereby reducing the thickness of the diffusion boundary layer, often developed on the reaction surface due to the slow flow velocity, low analyte diffusion coefficient, and surface reaction high rate. The results showed that the detection time of one of the biosensors can be improved by 69% under an applied voltage of 10 Vrms and an operating frequency of 100 kHz. Certain control factors such as the thermal boundary conditions as well as the electrical conductivity of the buffer solution were analyzed in order to find the appropriate values to improve the efficiency of the biosensor.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2022
