A test with gold particles and lasers developed by scholars ofUniversity of Texas at Dallas in their study, it promises to provide better performance with consequent more accurate results in tracking down viruses such as COVID-19.
The results of the Research have been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
Gold particles to identify viruses – that’s what the research says
According to research carried out by the Dallas scientists, the technology, called digital plasmonic nanobubble detection, or Diamond, is 150 times more accurate than standard rapid tests. Its accuracy is comparable to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which take hours to perform.
The team of scientists UTD who started the study, were led by associate professor of mechanical engineering Dr. Zhenpeng Qinand tested Diamond against respiratory syncytial virus, although researchers say gold particle technology can be used to track down other important viruses, such as Covid19 and influenza.
“For the test [PCR] COVID, we drive through the pharmacy and give the sample. Sample testing usually takes two to four hours to get results“, he has declared Haihang Ye, UTD associate researcher in mechanical engineering: “Our technology can reduce sample testing time to 30 minutes, but the sensitivity can be as good as that of molecular testing. “
Faster, cheaper and more effective antivirus tests are in high demand as the US is returning to a new normal that has sadly been disrupted not only in the US but around the world by the coronavirus pandemic. Although the case count is near all-time lows in North Texas, the highly contagious BA.2 variant continues to spread locally and across the country.
The cost of a Covid19 test varies widely depending on the location and type of test. A study of the largest hospitals in each state conducted by the Peterson Center of Healthcare and the Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker found coronavirus test prices ranged from $ 20 to over $ 1,400. Only 3% of the hospitals surveyed indicated test prices below $ 50.
A gold particle test, which Ye says can be produced for about $ 15, mixes a patient sample from a nasal swab with gold nanoparticles attached to antibodies to the virus being tested. The antibodies, tagged with gold nanoparticles, then bind to proteins on the surface of the virus if the virus is present in the sample.
Next, the scientists inject the sample mixed with the labeled antibodies into a narrow tube mounted on a glass slide. As the liquid passes through the tube, it is hit by beams from two lasers, one of which activates the gold particles, causing them to expand.
If the expansion is strong enough, the nanoparticle will boil the water around it and create steam bubbles. Large nanobubbles indicate that the virus is present in the sample: “If there is no virus, there will be a tiny nanobubble signal from the particle just so that we can differentiate the state of the sample“, he has declared Yaning Liua researcher at UTD and co-first author of the study in question.
The Diamond was the result of years of research and millions of dollars in grants, including $ 2.5 million in grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a $ 293,000 grant from Congress-led medical research programs. Department of Defense.
Ye explained that to test different viruses using gold particle technology, all researchers need to do is change the associated antibodies.. Although Diamond has the potential to expand testing options for a range of viruses, it requires researchers to know what they are testing.
“One of the challenges with current testing is that suppliers need to have an idea of what they are looking for“, he has declared Elitza Theel, Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
A less specific approach using a technology called next-generation metagenomic sequencing allows scientists to sequence all the genetic material in a sample to identify which infectious pathogens are present. The technology is already in use, but the process is expensive and takes days to produce results.
While Diamond must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration before it can be used publicly, the scientists who developed the gold particle technology have launched a company called Avsana Labs, with plans to commercialize it. Qin is president of the company, which was created through UTD’s Venture Development Center.
Within days, another North Texas company approved the COVID-19 test by the FDA. InspectIR Systems, based in Frisco, has invented a breathalyzer, the first coronavirus test of its kind to gain federal approval, which can produce results in under three minutes.
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