A system composed of two different types of nanoparticles can be used to accurately, sensitively and quickly detect viruses.
The earlier a viral infection is detected, the more effective the treatment. Currently available tests are accurate but require a long time and/or specialized personnel, which are not a given in many outbreak settings. To address this, a team of researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University developed a biosensor that detects Ebola and avian influenza subtype H7 viruses.
The team prepared gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) carrying ‘probes’ derived from the viral sample being tested. They also tagged ‘upconversion nanoparticles’ (UCNPs), which emit green light when hit by a near infrared laser, with probes specific for influenza virus H7 or Ebola. If the sample contains one of the two viruses, the two types of nanoparticles interact, causing the green light emitted by the laser-targeted UCNPs to dim. This process takes place in a short period of time (two hours in the case of the influenza test) and is quantifiable.
The system has proven to be very specific: using viral samples on the AuNPs that were only slightly different from the UCNP viral-specific tags did not yield results. The researchers then anchored the nanoparticles on a nanoporous alumina platform instead of having the two components in liquid solution. This increased the sensitivity of the assay and enabled the detection of ‘femtomolar’ amounts of virus: equivalent to the lower limit of detection in tests currently used in clinical practice. This is a crucial level of sensitivity, especially in the case of Ebola where early treatment can save lives.
The team is now planning to test the device on various subtypes of influenza and then move on to the fabrication of a multi-target detection platform that can simultaneously detect various subtypes of influenza viruses. The system is still at the research and development stage, but the researchers think it may become available in two to three years.
Learn more: Using nanoparticles to detect deadly viruses
[osd_subscribe categories=’virus-detection’ placeholder=’Email Address’ button_text=’Subscribe Now for any new posts on the topic “VIRUS DETECTION’]
The Latest on: Virus detection
[google_news title=”” keyword=”virus detection” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]- Bird flu detected in Colorado dairy cattle − a vet explains the risks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
A veterinarian and epidemiologist who studies infectious diseases in dairy cows discusses the outbreak, how cows recover and what the government is doing to keep the milk supply safe.
- Experts blast CDC over refusal to test sewage for signs of H5N1 bird flu virus
As officials attempt to determine the extent of bird flu outbreaks among dairy herds, some experts are urging that wastewater surveillance begin immediately.
- White spot virus as 'uncontainable as COVID' as department detects disease in wild prawns
A potentially destructive disease detected in prawns off the NSW North Coast has been described by an aquatic veterinarian as being "uncontainable". White spot disease has been detected in wild prawns ...
- First detection of hepatitis E virus from urban Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) in the Republic of Korea
Hepatitis E virus (HEV), an emerging zoonotic pathogen, poses a significant public health concern worldwide. Recently, rat HEV (Rocahepevirus ratti genotype C1; HEV-C1) has been reported to cause ...
- Large amount of bird flu virus in milk suggests asymptomatic cows are infected with H5N1
How is it that so much bird flu virus is getting off of affected dairy farms and into the national milk supply?
via Google News and Bing News