Optical sensors for coronavirus antibodies: Analyzing the human response to COVID-19

Detection of antibodies to upper respiratory pathogens is critical to surveillance, assessment of the immune status of individuals, vaccine development, and basic biology. The urgent need for antibody detection tools has proven particularly acute in the COVID-19 era. Array-based tools are desirable as methods for assessing broader patterns of antigen-specific responses, as well as providing information on SARS-CoV-2 immunity in the context of pre-existing immunity to other viruses. Also, methods that rapidly and quantitatively detect antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 antigens using small (fingerstick) quantities of blood are essential for monitoring immunity at a global scale. This talk will describe the development of two optical sensor platforms (Arrayed Imaging Reflectometry, and an integrated photonics platform fabricated at AIM Photonics) for quantifying antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and other upper respiratory pathogens, and oriented towards the needs of multiplex detection and speed.