Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a quick way to detect viruses using light. By shining a low-power laser, similar to a laser pointer, on a particular chip coated with antibodies for coronavirus spike proteins, they could detect virus-like particles in under a minute.
This method moves particles toward the detection site, allowing for fast and efficient virus detection with a small sample.
Researchers found that light helps gather nanoparticles in one spot, so a high concentration isn’t needed for detection. This process, from coating the surface to detecting particles, takes less than 5 minutes.
The research team leader, Professor Iida, explained that this method speeds up protein detection and could help diagnose COVID-19 and other diseases, such as cancer and dementia, more quickly.
The study shows that using light can quickly and accurately detect coronavirus spike proteins in just 5 minutes. This method, which involves a simple laser and special coating, could help speed up the diagnosis of COVID-19 and potentially other diseases, offering a faster and more sensitive way to identify infections.
Journal reference :
- Kanoda, M., Hayashi, K., Takagi, Y. et al. High-throughput light-induced immunoassay with milliwatt-level laser under one-minute optical antibody-coating on nanoparticle-imprinted substrate. npj Biosensing. DOI: 10.1038/s44328-024-00004-z.
