US Researchers find new method to detect COVID-19 in 5 minutes | Read

In another path-breaking invention, researchers in the US have developed an ultrasensitive test which could detect the presence of coronavirus within five minutes. The rapid test developed by researchers from Illinois Grainger College of Engineering uses a paper-based electrochemical sensor to detect the presence of the virus. The research comes as the coronavirus cases surged to 67,767, 138 across the world, the latest tally by John Hopkins University revealed.

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Using a graphene biosensor

According to the researcher, the study depicts the possibility of detecting the virus by using a graphene biosensor, which is adaptable to other viruses. The study published in journal ACS Nano revealed that the innovative test was co-developed by a student called Maha Alafeef from the University of Illinois Grainger.

"Currently, we are experiencing a once-in-a-century life-changing event," said Alafeef. "We are responding to this global need from a holistic approach by developing multidisciplinary tools for early detection and diagnosis and treatment for SARS-CoV-2."

There are two components to this biosensor, according to the study, one of which is, a platform to measure an electrical read-out and second are probes to detect the presence of viral RNA. For the purpose of research, researchers the team designed antisense oligonucleotide (ASOs) probes to target two regions of the N-gene. N-gene is nucleoprotein, which is the main positive component in repository samples from a cohort of COVID-19 patients.

The researchers showed that the hybridization of the viral RNA with these probes causes a change in the sensor electrical response. The AuNP caps accelerate the electron transfer and when broadcasted over the sensing platform, results in an increase in the output signal and indicates the presence of the virus.

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Representative Image/ AP