The present contribution describes a high challenging project aiming to develop strategies to shift the paradigm from target- to signal amplification, enabling rapid, simple and low-cost tests for viruses and bacteria using assays on paper or simple electronic read out. The vision, applicable to any pathogen and in different detection modalities, is based on signal generation from thousands of reporter molecules generated for each analyte captured and will make a breakthrough in the diagnostic field, enabling home- and point of care diagnostics. The detection strategy for the pathogens is emission, colorimetric assay or electrochemiluminescence, ECL. To achieve such a goal we have designed electrochemiluminescent polynuclear complexes able to disaggregate (to avoid self-quenching) upon a redox reaction, breakable nanoparticles able to release hundreds of reporter molecules. Phage display technology provides probes endowed with high affinity and selectivity towards the desired analyte overcoming the limitations of monoclonal antibodies, including cost, chemical stability and heterogeneity of reactions. In this research, we will demonstrate that we can detect the virus or bacterium without the need to extract any biomolecular marker.