CRISPR/Cas12a-triggered electrochemiluminescence biosensor to ultrasensitive detect herpes simplex virus via self-enhanced near-infrared selenium-based polymer dots

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) as one of the most popular herpesviruses exhibits nearly identical clinical symptoms among the family of herpesvirus species and it is urgent to develop high specific biosensors to realize accurate detection of HSV. CRISPR/Cas12a systems with programmability and high specificity could serve an essential role in accurate diagnosis of HSV in complex samples. Herein, a novel near-infrared selenium-based polymer dots with self-enhanced effect were unprecedentedly designed and successfully synthesized in this work, and an ultrasensitive biosensor has been constructed together with the CRISPR/Cas12a system for the specific detection of HSV. Notably, the as-prepared selenium-based polymer dots exhibited near-infrared emission with a peak at 760 nm, which could significantly minimize background noise and achieve high sensitivity. The proposed biosensor demonstrated a wide linear range from 1 fM to 1 nM and the limit of detection as low as 0.1 fM (S/N = 3). Undoubtedly, the CRISPR/Cas12a-triggered ECL biosensor proposed in this work could provide a simple, sensitive, and environmentally friendly approach to detect HSV in clinical applications.