Electrochemical Detection Approaches Targeting Single Intact Virions

Abstract

Beyond emerging diagnostic applications, intact-virus detection is essential for understanding viral pathogenesis, host–pathogen interactions, and vaccine development. This review highlights in a timeline-based perspective the progress in electrochemical detection of intact virions, focusing on single-virion sensitivity. By directly probing intact viral particles rather than molecular surrogates, nanopore-based resistive-pulse sensing and nano-impact electrochemistry have emerged as versatile virus-counting strategies, enabling selective identification, quantitation, and characterization of morphological and chemical heterogeneity without ensemble averaging. Their potential for calibration-free quantitation, integration with microfluidics, in situ preconcentration, advanced signal processing, and artificial intelligence positions electrochemical platforms as powerful tools for virus analysis.