Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 18 2 2026 04 26 268 278 EN Mona Attaran Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran Seyed Masoud Hosseini Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran Zohreh Sharifi Biological Products and Blood Safety Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Jahanfar Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 2025 10 19 2026 02 13 Background and Objectives: Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are polymers designed to selectively recognize specific molecules or related compounds. They are created using template molecules, which are later removed, leaving behind cavities tailored to the template's structure. This study aimed to synthesize MIPs for detecting HSV-1 suspended in Human plasma. Materials and Methods: For synthesizing Silica Nanoparticles and virus-imprinted particles, the Stöber and Sol-gel methods were employed to detect HSV-1 in human plasma. Moreover, ultra-sonication for washing and removal of HSV-1 from VIP, and FESEM were used to determine the shape, size, and characteristics of the synthesized particles. Additionally, DLS was used to confirm the size of particles. MTT assay was employed for cell viability, and TCID50/ml was used for measuring infectious viral titer. Real-time PCR as a molecular assay for virus genome quantification was applied. Results: The average size of gold-coated freeze-dried SNPs and VIPs was analyzed by FESEM, and the results were 332 and 390 nm, respectively. DLS results showed an average size of 362, 521, and 648 nm for SNPs, VIPs, and NIPs. The VIP cavity size was 156 nm, which was specific for HSV-1. The Real-time PCR confirmed the removal of HSV-1. Conclusion: The imprinted particles could specifically bind to HSV-1. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/5872 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/5872/1885