Humble as it may seem, but that little piece of filter paper pictured above is a handy diagnostics laboratory condensed into a pocket-sized strip. The technology is presently being developed by scientists at Harvard’s Wyss Institute as a cheap and easy way to identify a wide range of infections or medically important molecules such as glucose. Even though it’s not ready to be used in the field yet, the researchers have verified that the test can successfully pick up two distinct strains of Ebola virus.
The technology works by embedding artificial gene circuits onto
pieces of litmus paper and freeze drying them so that they can be stored for
lengthened periods at room temperature. To make the circuit come to life, it just
needs to be dished into water. If a particular pathogen or molecule is there in
the water, the little dots on the paper change color.
The networks are premeditated in a way that when a particular object,
such as a piece of viral or bacterial genetic substance, binds to one of the
genes, the circuit becomes switched on. This then starts genes downstream in
the circuit to initiate producing colorful proteins, such as the glowing
molecule that makes jellyfish glow. By mixing up the blend of genes in the
circuit, researchers can perceive a wide range of target molecules.
The scientists place their mini laboratory to the test by
exposing it to two diverse strains of Ebola virus, and sure enough it was capable
to detect them. It was so efficient that a color transform was observed in
just 30 minutes,
which is roughly how long more conventional antibody tests take to produce a
result. They also designed another test that effectively picked up genetic substance
from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which could be valuable for hospitals.
Strikingly, the tests cost just $21 to manufacture, which is considerably
cheaper than diagnostic machines which often come with a heavy price tag. If
the researchers can manufacture the gene sequences themselves, relatively than
paying other companies to synthesize them, then the price can be brought down
even more.
Because the test is so small, it could effortlessly be transported
to remote places that have little or no access to clinical services, improving
diagnosis rates. This would be mainly useful for disease outbreaks in
developing countries, such as the existing Ebola crisis. The test is also adaptable
and could be used on an array of different bodily fluids, like saliva or blood.
However, the technology needs to be enhanced before it can be brought into
practice as currently it is not responsive enough to detect very small amounts
of mark molecules. The team also needs to make sure that the number of false
positive results given by the test is small enough to meet particular diagnostic standards.
[Via Cell, Harvard Wyss Institute, New Scientist, PopSci, Iflscience]
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