Researchers at University of Georgia have developed a test to diagnose viruses like HIV & influenza in less than a minute using nanotechnology.
US scientists have developed a test to diagnose viruses like HIV & influenza in less than a minute. UGA (University of Georgia) researchers, using nanotechnology, have developed diagnostic test, which saves both time and lives, as early detection of disease can prevent major outbreaks & bio-terrorism attacks.
Ralph Trip of UGA said that the new technology could save a lot of time. One can use the technology to detect diseases in airplane passengers. New technology measures the frequency change in a near-infrared ray when it rebounds from viral RNA or DNA.
Tripp said that past attempts to detect viruses using Raman spectroscopy failed, as the signals generated were inherently weak. UGA researchers tried different methods & metals (nano-rods) & have been successful in significantly amplifying the signal. The test could detect viruses like HIV, respiratory syncytical virus (causes bronchitis in small children & cold in adults) & influenza.
Researchers claim that they have developed a next generation technology in diagnostic testing though the technology was only tested in laboratories. The enhancement possibilities are amazing & the good thing is that its implementation very easy, also it's quite cheap & very reproducible.
As the technology matures, it will increasingly be helpful in preventing major disease outbreaks & bio-terrorism incidences. Moreover, people or tourists coming from other countries can be caught on airports if they are found to be suffering from a severe disease owing to fears of a major outbreak of the disease," said an analyst at RNCOS.
Tripp said the technology is quite promising & has potential to diagnose a single particle of virus & could even distinguish between virus subtypes & those having mutations like gene insertions & deletions. This is not only makes the technique a valuable diagnostic tool but can also help epidemiologists in tracking the origin of viruses & the way they mutate while moving through populations.
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