A homogeneous high-throughput array for the detection and discrimination of influenza A viruses

The transmission of influenza A viruses (IAVs) from animal to human has resulted in a number of pandemics. Here, we report the synthesis of several sialyl-glycan-functionalized vibration-induced emissive probes (VIEgens V1–V10) that differ in their interaction with the relevant IAV hemagglutinin (HA). Collectively, V1–V10 provide a characteristic “fingerprint” for different IAV subtypes. This differential sensing allowed the construction of a glycoVIEgen array that permits detection of IAVs and discrimination against other viral species; it also enables the determination of IAVs specific to individual species, including bird and human, as well as for more than one species. This array allowed preliminary assessments of adenovirus vaccines specific to a given IAV strain to be made. These results highlight the use of a VIEgen scaffold for differential sensing and as a diagnostic system that could find use in low-income “hotspot” regions where early assessments of viral transmission between people, wildlife, and livestock are challenging.