Water-soluble polythiophene-based colorimetry for the quick and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA

The SARS-CoV-2-related Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has had a significant negative impact on society and endangered global health. To quickly stop and constrain the pandemic, a SARS-CoV-2 detection technology that is sensitive, quick and reasonably priced is urgently required. The widely used reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) requires complex equipment and a fair amount of time. Reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) exhibits significant advantage for early detection of COVID-19 without the requirement for expensive equipment by amplifying a little amount of RNA to a detectable level at isothermal condition. Here, a water-soluble polythiophene-based colorimetric method by combining with RT-LAMP is established for fast and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The proposed assay has benefits for the quick detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at concentrations as low as 10 aM, or 6 copies/μL.